Mazzei Minute 10/18/25

Governor Kevin Stitt sparked a firestorm last week when he told the New York Times he disagrees with President Trump’s plan to send Texas National Guard troops to Chicago, Illinois.  Governor Stitt said Oklahomans would be furious if Illinois troops were sent into Oklahoma.

Although Governor Stitt and I agree on many things, on this issue I strongly disagree. I believe that most Oklahoma voters fully support President Trump’s efforts to restore order and protect federal officers in the face of danger from criminal illegal aliens and riotous mobs.  In fact, most of us are grateful that the President and ICE agents are working hard to deport illegal aliens.  In my opinion, all GOP governors should help defend the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law, even if the Democrat governor of Illinois whines about it.

As for the contention that Oklahomans don’t want national guard troops from other states coming here, I think our citizens would absolutely welcome them if we had a wave of anarchy spreading like wildfire, damaging property and hurting law enforcement.  And don’t think it can’t happen here.  We have a radical left mayor of Tulsa now, and we could have quite a mess on our hands if he pursues the bad policies they have in Chicago.

Furthermore, both Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln used state militias to enforce federal law in other states.  Given their crucial successes for our nation, I’m going to go with their view, not Stitt’s.

But let me be clear, my support for using the National Guard across state lines is rooted in defending the Constitution, public safety, and common sense.  If a future administration tries to send national guard troops to enforce some terrible woke policy, like mandating that boys can compete in girls’ sports, I would stand firm as governor and commander-in-chief of the Oklahoma National Guard to protect our state’s rights and values and order troops to stop out-of-state troops at the border.

Since we are still reeling from the Joe Biden-induced invasion of millions of illegal aliens, every state is now a border state.  This mess is a nationwide problem, and it’s going to take the entire nation to solve it.  Undermining the good work of President Trump is not what the voters of Oklahoma want.