NSL4A announced today that it has filed an amicus curiae brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in support of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s challenge to the federalization of the California National Guard. 

The brief, filed by NSL4A’s counsel at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, underscores the historic and legal limits on the President’s authority to seize control of state National Guard units without a governor’s consent. At issue is the President’s June 7, 2025, order to federalize and deploy 4,000 California Guard members to Los Angeles under 10 U.S.C. § 12406, despite Governor Newsom’s determination that local police forces were sufficient to maintain order. 

NSL4A condemns in the strongest possible terms the murder of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University. Violence against political leaders and our fellow citizens is unacceptable, un-American, and a direct threat to our democracy.

NSL4A, a bipartisan coalition of retired senior military officers, ambassadors, and national security officials, today announced its opposition to  President Trump’s new Executive Order granting the National Guard sweeping authority to perform domestic law enforcement duties,  calling them “ineffective, wasteful, and dangerous.”

This action represents a perilous escalation in the politicization of America’s armed forces. For over two centuries, the United States has maintained a distinct separation between civilian policing and the military. By directing the Guard to assume routine law enforcement responsibilities, the administration is eroding one of the bedrock principles of our democracy: that military power must never be used as a tool of domestic control.

NSL4A is deeply concerned by the sudden firing of Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Announced without explanation, this dismissal is the latest in a disturbing trend of political interference in the U.S. intelligence community.

This follows the recent removal of General Timothy Haugh as Director of the National Security Agency (NSA), as well as the abrupt dismissal of the acting chair and vice chair of the National Intelligence Council, whose members provide strategic, long-term analysis to policymakers. These actions, along with reports of pressure on analysts to alter or downplay assessments of foreign threats, reflect a concerted effort to bend intelligence to fit political preferences.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A)  urges restraint regarding the President’s plan to deploy up to 1,000 D.C. National Guard personnel in the nation’s capital to address street crime and homelessness. While the President holds direct authority over the D.C. Guard, using military forces in civilian policing risks blurring critical lines between military and law enforcement and eroding public trust in both; further, the National Guard is already stretched near its breaking point, and deployments well outside its expertise risk critically undermining its readiness to perform essential tasks. Accordingly, NSL4A also calls upon Congress to exercise its oversight authority to curtail the domestic use of the military.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) is alarmed over the State Department’s plan to eliminate roughly 2,000 positions—700 of which are career Foreign Service Officers (FSOs)—and to shutter or consolidate 132 bureaus and offices.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A)  is alarmed by the federalization of National Guard troops over the express wishes of the State Governor and despite the state’s confidence in its ability to maintain local order. This unilateral federal overreach risks politicizing the military and degrading public confidence in our armed forces. NSL4A, therefore, calls upon Congress to exercise its oversight authority to curtail the domestic use of the military to quell protests that are within the ability of state authorities to control and to avoid setting a dangerous precedent.

Rear Admiral Mike Smith (Ret), President and Founder of National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A), delivered remarks at the Unite for Veterans Rally held today in Washington, DC. Held on the 81st anniversary of D-Day, the event brought together leaders, advocates, and veterans from across the country to reaffirm the nation’s commitment to those who have served.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) s proud to partner with the Unite for Veterans Rally, taking place on Friday, June 6, 2025, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. NSL4A Founder and President, Rear Admiral Mike Smith, U.S. Navy (Ret.), will be among the keynote speakers, joining a distinguished lineup including U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and former Representatives Adam Kinzinger and Conor Lamb.

Organizers must ensure that the celebration and military parade remain apolitical.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) recognizes and celebrates the monumental significance of the United States Army's 250th anniversary. This milestone marks the extraordinary service, sacrifice, and dedication of generations of soldiers who have courageously defended our freedoms.

Our members, including many veterans, respectfully urge organizers to ensure this event's dignity and apolitical character remain intact, honoring the Army's profound legacy while maintaining our nation's foundational values.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) is deeply alarmed by reports that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has fired the top two officials at the National Intelligence Council following their resistance to politicized intelligence regarding Venezuela. NSL4A is calling on Congress to reassert its oversight authority to prevent the politicization of intelligence.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) issued the following statement regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to accept a Boeing 747 jet from the Qatari royal family to become the new Air Force One. NSL4A is calling on Congress to fulfill its role in overseeing national security and operational security standards.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) is calling on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees to launch an immediate investigation into the sharing of sensitive military plans by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. NSL4A urges Congress to require regular reporting and oversight of all classified communications from the Administration’s national security leadership, including disclosures, recipients, and the means by which such information is transmitted.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) Founder and President, retired Rear Admiral Mike Smith, issued the following statement on today's Politico report revealing the widespread and improper use of the commercial encrypted messaging app Signal and called for a bipartisan investigation into what critical information may have fallen into adversaries’ hands.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) is gravely concerned by recent reports that senior Trump Administration officials used the commercial encrypted messaging app Signal to share top-secret war plans.

National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) Founder and President, retired Rear Admiral Mike Smith, issued the following statement regarding the announced firings of several senior military officers without cause, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, and the Judge Advocates General of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.