New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mikie Sherrill criticized President Trump’s National Guard deployments, asserting that military presence in cities makes people feel less safe.
New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mikie Sherrill has voiced strong opposition to President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to American cities, claiming that the presence of troops on the streets “makes people less safe.” During a gubernatorial debate on Wednesday night against Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli, Sherrill emphasized her belief that “military members should not be on our streets.”
Sherrill articulated her concerns, stating, “It makes people less safe, it makes people feel less safe.” When asked how she would respond if Trump were to send the National Guard to a city in New Jersey, she clarified her stance. “Unless there is an insurrection or some sort of crisis where the National Guard could come in and the president invokes the Insurrection Act, he’s moving these National Guard troops across the country illegally against the Insurrection Act, against posse comitatus,” she said.
In her remarks, Sherrill reiterated her position that military personnel should not be deployed in civilian areas. “I can tell you this, because I’ve both worked at the U.S. Attorney’s office with law enforcement to keep people safe, and I’ve also worked in the military, and those are two very different jobs,” she explained. She expressed her disapproval of Trump’s comments regarding using U.S. cities as training grounds for the military, calling such a notion “unacceptable.” Sherrill stated, “I will not stand for that as governor.”
On the other side of the debate, Ciattarelli challenged Sherrill’s record on public safety. He accused her of being weak on safety issues, stating, “The congresswoman has been anything but strong when it comes to public safety.” He pointed out her vote to eliminate qualified immunity, which he described as a fundamental protection for local law enforcement. Ciattarelli also criticized her consideration of reappointing the current attorney general, whom he labeled as the most anti-police attorney general New Jersey has ever had.
Ciattarelli assured the audience that, as governor, he would prioritize safety, declaring, “I’ve told the president, and the people of New Jersey, that he will never have to worry about New Jersey because as governor, we’ll have safe communities.” He emphasized his commitment to restoring law and order in the state, stating, “We will be a law-and-order state again, and there will be a consequence for unruly, unlawful behavior.”
As the gubernatorial race heats up, the contrasting views on public safety and military presence in urban areas are likely to remain central themes in the campaign.
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