Federalizing the NC National Guard for Political Policing? Congress Must Say No

Opinions and Articles
Written By David Petri

Cmdr. Dave Petri, USN (Ret.)

Greensboro News & Record/The Winston-Salem Journal

Aug 17, 2025

The North Carolina National Guard exists to protect and serve the people of our state — not to be deployed for political theater hundreds of miles away. Yet recent reports in The Washington Post reveal the administration is considering federalizing state National Guard units, including some of ours, to patrol Washington, D.C., as part of a broader “civil unrest” plan.

This raises serious legal, operational and moral concerns — and comes at the worst possible time for North Carolina.

The president has direct authority over the D.C. National Guard and can federalize state units for domestic missions. Supporters claim this can boost manpower without expanding local police forces. But legality is not the same as necessity, and so-called cost-effectiveness depends on context…

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David Petri

Dave Petri is a marketing and sustainability professional with 30 years of leadership experience across multiple industries. Since 2010, Dave’s professional experience has primarily been in the Outdoor Industry, including industry-wide leadership roles. He launched Cynosura Consulting in 2019 and is the principal consultant, providing his expertise to various companies and organizations in the manufacturing, hospitality, and event management sectors.

https://www.cynosurallc.com
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