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Friends,
I’m sure you’ve seen imagery and news updates out of California this week as President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have activated thousands of National Guard members and 700 Marines in California in response to immigration protests.
We need to talk about this.
The President’s decision to deploy thousands of Guard members to quell protests in Los Angeles — without a request by the California Governor and in fact, over the objection of the California Governor — is nearly unprecedented.
We are in very, very dangerous territory. I am concerned about this, the American public is concerned about this, and we are right to be.
The ability to peacefully assemble and petition our government for redress of grievances is in the First Amendment to the Constitution — and it’s in there because the founders of this country believed that peaceful dissent made our democratic government better.
Now, many Americans are worried that if they express dissenting voices to policies of this Administration, the military could be deployed against them.
Here’s an important disharmony to consider:
We have a President who refused to deploy the National Guard to protect the Capitol on January 6th, despite repeated requests from the Mayor of DC and the head of the Capitol Police — because those protestors supported him.
And we have a President who has now deployed the National Guard (and Marines) in the absence of a request and over the objection of the Mayor of LA — because those protestors don’t support him.
The President is not a king and the military is not his palace guard. We can’t be disinterested bystanders while he acts as one.
So my message today to any concerned citizens, whether in California, here in Virginia, or anywhere in between, is this:
Fully inhabiting your First Amendment right to peaceably assemble is more important now than it has been at any point in my lifetime.
We need brave and patriotic citizens who are willing to, without fear, exercise rights that were guaranteed to them from the very first days of this country.
If you agree, I hope you’ll sign on today to stand strong. [[link removed]]
Thank you for your commitment to democracy and to bettering this country through active participation, and for your time reading this message.
-Tim Kaine
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