Senator Hirono Decries National Guard Deployments as 'Police State' Tactics

Concerns Over Presidential Authority

• 🏛️ Senator Hirono expresses concern that the President believes the rule of law does not apply to him, citing statements about his inherent authority.
• ⚖️ She questions whether officials abiding by the President's orders consider those orders inherently lawful, regardless of their actual legality.

Unprecedented National Guard Deployments

• 🚨 The current administration is accused of deploying National Guard troops under untested legal theories that stretch the law, using vague claims of rebellion.
• 🏙️ These deployments are occurring even as crime has fallen in many of the cities where troops are present, suggesting a pretext for a show of force.
• 📉 The administration has also cut significant funding for local law enforcement and community safety initiatives.

The Specter of a 'Police State'

• 🚶‍♂️ Hirono questions whether Americans want to see soldiers and military vehicles on street corners, viewing it as a visible sign of a police state.
• 🇺🇸 She contrasts this with the desired image of a confident democracy that doesn't need such visible displays of force.
• 🗣️ The daily experience of Americans in their capital city and their view of the military are being fundamentally altered by these deployments.

Normalizing the Abnormal

• 🚫 Hirono insists that the deployment of National Guard in cities like LA, Portland, Chicago, DC, and Memphis is not normal.
• 🗳️ She criticizes the President for attacking cities controlled by Democratic mayors or governors, breaking with a tradition of non-politicizing the military.

Questions on Legality and Readiness

• ❓ Hirono asks if the President's reported statement about protesters being shot in the street constitutes a legal order, which officials could not confirm.
• 💰 She inquires about assessments of the impact of these deployments on military readiness and the significant financial costs incurred.