Attorney General Alan Wilson leads support of President Trump's deployment of National Guard to D.C.

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) – Attorney General Alan Wilson co-led a coalition of 23 states in a friend-of-the-court brief supporting President Trump’s constitutional deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C.

In the years preceding President Trump’s current term, crime surged in our nation’s capital. Rampant carjackings, robberies, murders, and violence endangered the lives of civilians and government employees.

“Presidents have defended our capital in times of crisis across generations,” Attorney General Wilson stated. “The federal government has the right and responsibility to keep our nation’s capital safe for the American people. President Trump is doing exactly what our Founders intended; and that is to protect the seat of government when it’s under threat.”

The brief argues that each state in our Union has a vested interest in the safety of Washington, D.C. Each state sends delegates to Congress and employees to work in different areas of the federal government. Citizens frequently travel to the nation’s capital to petition the government and visit various sights.

Acting under the authority granted to the Chief Executive under Article II, President Trump deployed the National Guard to safeguard Washington, D.C. The Pentagon has recently announced these troops will remain deployed to the nation’s capital for the remainder of the President’s second term.

“As a 30-year veteran of the National Guard, I am proud to stand with President Donald Trump to ensure the streets of our nation’s capital are safe,” Attorney General Wilson said. “The President is operating well within his constitutional authority to end lawlessness in our capital.”

Attorney General Wilson is co-leading this brief with West Virginia. Joining them are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

You can read the brief here.

You can read the 24-state brief Attorney General Wilson also co-led on this issue here.