{"id":4819,"date":"2026-06-30T01:12:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-30T01:12:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usglobalnews.com\/2026\/06\/30\/michigan-governor-threatens-to-pull-troops-from-d-c-if-used-for-trump-task-force\/"},"modified":"2026-06-30T01:12:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-30T01:12:52","slug":"michigan-governor-threatens-to-pull-troops-from-d-c-if-used-for-trump-task-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.usglobalnews.com\/?p=4819","title":{"rendered":"Michigan governor threatens to pull troops from D.C. if used for Trump task force"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"storytitle\">\n<h1>Michigan governor threatens to pull troops from D.C. if used for Trump task force<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORYTITLE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"story-meta\" class=\"story-meta has-byline\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one\">\n<div class=\"story-meta__one-inner\">\n<div class=\"dateblock\">\n    <time datetime=\"2026-06-29T19:34:58-04:00\"><br \/>\n            <span class=\"date\">June 29, 2026<\/span><span class=\"time\">7:34 PM ET<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/time>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE-INNER\" -->\n   <\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__ONE\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"story-meta__two\">\n<div id=\"storybyline\" class=\"storybyline-wrap linkLocation\">\n<div class=\"bucketwrap byline\">\n<div class=\"byline-container--block\">\n<p class=\"byline__name--block\">By\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"byline byline--block byline--has-link\" aria-label=\"Byline\">\n<p class=\"byline__name byline__name--block\">\n      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/people\/630949669\/kat-lonsdorf\" rel=\"author\"><br \/>\n      Kat Lonsdorf<br \/>\n    <\/a>\n  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"BUCKETWRAP BYLINE\" -->\n      <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"STORY-META__TWO\" -->\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"STORY-META\" CLASS=\"STORY-META HAS-BYLINE\" --><\/p>\n<div id=\"storytext\" class=\"storytext storylocation linkLocation\">\n<div id=\"resg-s1-130969\" class=\"bucketwrap image large\">\n<div class=\"imagewrap has-source-dimensions\" data-crop-type=\"\" style=\"--source-width: 5293;--source-height: 3529\">\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5293x3529+0+0\/resize\/1100\/quality\/50\/format\/jpeg\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1d%2Fc8%2Fd3a1277a42dba4405507d7a66117%2Fgettyimages-2276427658.jpg\" data-template=\"https:\/\/npr.brightspotcdn.com\/dims3\/default\/strip\/false\/crop\/5293x3529+0+0\/resize\/{width}\/quality\/{quality}\/format\/{format}\/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F1d%2Fc8%2Fd3a1277a42dba4405507d7a66117%2Fgettyimages-2276427658.jpg\" class=\"img\" alt=\"Members of the National Guard stand in front of a large image of U.S. President Donald Trump that hangs from the the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building on May 18, 2026 in Washington, DC.\"><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"credit-caption\">\n<div class=\"caption-wrap\">\n<div class=\"caption\" aria-label=\"Image caption\">\n<p>\n                Members of the National Guard stand in front of a large image of U.S. President Donald Trump that hangs from the the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building on May 18, 2026 in Washington, D.C.<br \/>\n                <b class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n                    Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images North America<br \/>\n                <\/b><br \/>\n                <b class=\"hide-caption\"><b>hide caption<\/b><\/b>\n            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>            <b class=\"toggle-caption\"><b>toggle caption<\/b><\/b>\n    <\/div>\n<p>    <span class=\"credit\" aria-label=\"Image credit\"><br \/>\n        Andrew Harnik\/Getty Images North America<br \/>\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 In a strongly worded letter to the head of Michigan&#8217;s National Guard, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer reiterated troops from her state are only to be used for operations surrounding America 250 celebrations in Washington, D.C., and not for President Trump&#8217;s long-running \u2014 and controversial \u2014 joint task force to fight crime. She said that she would pull her troops from the city if that is not the case, in the letter obtained by NPR.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Please take all necessary measures to ensure the Michigan National Guard is only supporting the narrow and limited America 250 Mission and is in no way supporting the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission,&#8221; wrote Gov. Whitmer, referencing the official name for the federal task force.<\/p>\n<p>Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/08\/11\/nx-s1-5498666\/trump-is-taking-over-d-c-police-and-sending-in-the-national-guard-locals-are-furious\" target=\"_blank\"><u>deployed hundreds of troops<\/u><\/a> to Washington, D.C., in August of 2025, in what experts said was a stunning departure from governing norms. He said he did so to address rampant crime, despite declining crime rates at the time. The number of troops in the city has<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/05\/31\/nx-s1-5830303\/dc-will-host-america-250-celebrations-and-a-large-deployment-of-the-national-guard\" target=\"_blank\"><u> increased over time<\/u><\/a> to more than 4,800 from Washington, D.C. and almost two dozen states, which until recently were exclusively Republican-led.<\/p>\n<p>Michigan \u2014 which has 161 guard members currently in the city \u2014 is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/06\/26\/nx-s1-5871231\/democrats-national-guard-dc\" target=\"_blank\"><u>one of four Democratic-led states<\/u><\/a> that sent members of their National Guard to D.C. in recent weeks, ahead of an influx of tourists for America 250 celebrations. North Carolina and Kentucky each sent one member of their guard, while Minnesota sent more than a hundred last week.<\/p>\n<p>Kentucky confirmed to NPR Monday that it had recalled its one guard member over the weekend, after that member was &#8220;diverted to the task force by the federal government without the knowledge or consent of Gov. Beshear of the Kentucky Guard,&#8221; Scottie Ellis, a spokesperson for Gov. Beshear, wrote to NPR in an email.<\/p>\n<p>When contacted by NPR, spokespeople for each respective Democratic governor&#8217;s office made it clear that their guard members were sent to help specifically with America 250, not for law enforcement purposes as part of the larger ongoing federal joint task force operation. All four states have been clear about their opposition to the Trump administration&#8217;s ongoing deployment of National Guard troops to D.C., filing an amicus brief in support of <a href=\"https:\/\/illinoisattorneygeneral.gov\/News-Room\/Current-News\/DC%20Cir.%20NG%20Amicus%20Brief%20-%20FINAL%20(as-filed.5.26.26).pdf?language_id=1\" target=\"_blank\"><u>litigation challenging it as recently as May<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><!-- END ID=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" CLASS=\"MID-STORY-RECOMMENDATIONS-MOUNT-PIANO\" ARIA-LABEL=\"RECOMMENDED STORIES\" --><\/p>\n<p>But in recent days, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DaDoRoWou_3\/?igsh=ajdybnljcDRvY3dy\" target=\"_blank\"><u>a video of troops identifying themselves as Michigan National Guard<\/u><\/a> members patrolling the Georgetown waterfront \u2014 an upscale neighborhood more than a mile away from any official America 250 celebrations \u2014 began circulating on social media. NPR has authenticated the video. Whitmer&#8217;s office did not immediately respond to NPR&#8217;s request to verify that the troops were Michigan members.<\/p>\n<p>All state guard members are currently in D.C. under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalguard.mil\/Portals\/31\/Resources\/Fact%20Sheets\/NGB-Fact-Sheet-Duty-Status-Reference-FINAL.pdf\" target=\"_blank\"><u>Title 32 status<\/u><\/a>, which essentially means that the federal government pays for the deployment, but the state governors maintain control and command of their troops. But former National Guard officials say it&#8217;s impractical for states to play a role in day-to-day activities in a complex national mission like what&#8217;s happening in D.C.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;If the National Guard has defined the America 250 Mission to extend beyond direct support for events celebrating the nation&#8217;s 250th anniversary, please let me know so we can ensure the Michigan National Guard&#8217;s efforts are carefully limited,&#8221; Gov. Whitmer&#8217;s letter reads.<\/p>\n<p>It goes on to say that if that can&#8217;t be ensured, then Gov. Whitmer will &#8220;end Michigan&#8217;s support for the America 250 mission.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Legal experts, like those at the Brennan Center for Justice who have closely been watching Trump&#8217;s ongoing deployment to D.C., worry that drawing a distinction between the America 250 celebration and the general mission of the joint task force in the city will prove difficult. The joint task force is largely carrying out high visibility presence patrols in residential neighborhoods, public parks and metro stations.<\/p>\n<p>Troops from all four Democratic-led states are listed as part of the official federal joint task force <a href=\"https:\/\/dc.ng.mil\/Domestic-Operations\/Joint-Task-Force-JTF-District-of-Columbia-DC\/\" target=\"_blank\"><u>numbers released to the public<\/u><\/a>. Gov. Whitmer said the Michigan troops should not be included in that count.<\/p>\n<p>The offices for other Democratic governors NPR reached out to about that list also said their guard members shouldn&#8217;t be included.<\/p>\n<p>When asked about the confusion, a spokesperson for the joint task force told NPR that it is overseeing all guard members in D.C. for organizational purposes, but being on the list &#8220;does not change their specific mission.&#8221; The joint task force did not immediately respond to NPR&#8217;s request for comment as to why Michigan guard members were apparently in Georgetown, and if that was part of the America 250 operations.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tags\">\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/366614353\/national-guard\">national guard<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/505105414\/trump-administration\">trump administration<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"tag tag--story\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/tags\/128980569\/michigan\">Michigan<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"TAGS\" --><\/p>\n<div class=\"share-tools share-tools--secondary\" aria-label=\"Share tools\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--facebook\"><button class=\"fbStorynx-s1-5875427\" data-share-facebook='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5875427\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"facebook\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Facebook<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--flipboard\"><button class=\"storynx-s1-5875427\" data-share-flipboard='{\"storyId\": \"nx-s1-5875427\" }' data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"flipboard\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Flipboard<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<li class=\"share-tools__service share-tools__service--email\"><button class=\"share-tools__email-link\" data-story-id=\"nx-s1-5875427\" data-metrics-ga4='{\"category\":\"share\",\"action\":\"share\",\"clickName\":\"email\"}'><b class=\"share-tools__service-name\">Email<\/b><\/button><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END CLASS=\"SHARE-TOOLS SHARE-TOOLS-SECONDARY\" ARIA-LABEL=\"SHARE TOOLS\" --><br \/>\n<!-- END ID=\"NEWSLETTER-ACQUISITION-CALLOUT-DATA\" DATA-NEWSLETTER=\"{&amp;QUOT;NEWSLETTERID&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;NEWS&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;TITLE&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;UP FIRST&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;MARKETINGHEADER&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;SIGN UP FOR NPR&#039;S UP FIRST NEWSLETTER&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;FREQUENCY&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;EVERY DAY&amp;QUOT;,&amp;QUOT;SHORTDESCRIPTION&amp;QUOT;:&amp;QUOT;THE STORIES YOU NEED TO START YOUR DAY, HAND-PICKED FOR YOU EVERY WEEKDAY. 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