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Republican Senators Divided on Trump's Deployment of Marines to California

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

As the Trump administration continues its efforts to deport thousands of migrants, President Trump has deployed 700 active-duty Marines to California, sparking concern among some Republican lawmakers. While many Republican senators support the administration's crackdown on protests, there is uncertainty about the Pentagon's deployment of Marines and the potential invocation of the Insurrection Act of 1807. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) expressed her concern that the deployment of active-duty troops "raises very serious concerns" and warned that "sending in active-duty troops to deal with domestic law enforcement issues is not a good idea." Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) defended the deployment of 4,000 members of the California National Guard to LA but distanced himself from the decision to mobilize active-duty Marines.

Key Takeaways:

  • A poll of 4,309 U.S. adults by YouGov found that only 34% of Americans approved of Trump deploying Marines to LA, while 47% disapproved.
  • Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) expressed concern about the deployment of active-duty troops, warning that "sending in active-duty troops to deal with domestic law enforcement issues is not a good idea."
  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) defended the deployment of 4,000 members of the California National Guard to LA but distanced himself from the decision to mobilize active-duty Marines.
  • Gen. Eric Smith, the commandant of the Marine Corps, told Republican senators that the 700 Marines deployed to California would be limited to guarding federal properties and had training in crowd control.
  • Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) hopes "cooler heads prevail" on both sides of the political spectrum as the administration continues operations to deport migrants.
  • The Trump administration has been operating under Title 10 of the United States Code, which includes the statutes often referred to as the Insurrection Act, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Statistics:

  • 34% of Americans approve of Trump deploying Marines to LA, while 47% disapprove, according to a YouGov poll.
  • 4,309 U.S. adults were polled by YouGov.
  • 700 active-duty Marines have been deployed to California.
  • 4,000 members of the California National Guard have been deployed to LA.
  • The White House has drafted a proclamation to invoke the Insurrection Act in case Trump wants to deploy active-duty troops to Washington, DC.

Sources:

  • YouGov (poll of 4,309 U.S. adults)
  • Bloomberg (report by Alexander Bolton)
  • Senate Appropriations Committee (comments by Sen. Susan Collins)
  • Senate Armed Services Committee (comments by Sen. Mike Rounds)
  • Brennan Center for Justice (reference to Title 10 of the United States Code)

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