National Security Leaders for America: Warns Against Threatened Use of Insurrection Act in Minnesota

Deploying or posturing troops against domestic protests risks constitutional rights and civil-military trust.

January 18, 2026

Washington, DC, — National Security Leaders for America (NSL4A) expresses deep concern over President Trump’s public threats to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota and the Department of Defense’s decision to place active-duty Army forces from Alaska on prepare-to-deploy status for possible domestic operations.

The Insurrection Act is an extraordinary and rarely used authority. It exists as a last resort—intended only for situations in which state and local governments are incapable of maintaining order and all civilian remedies have been exhausted. 

“The Insurrection Act is not a tool for managing political dissent. Using—or threatening to use—the U.S. military against Americans exercising their First Amendment rights is an extreme step that risks lasting damage to civil-military relations and to our democracy itself,” said retired Rear Admiral Mike Smith, founder and President of NSL4A. “Using federal troops in a domestic law-enforcement role represents a profound escalation with serious constitutional, legal, and civil-military implications.”

The American military is trained to defend the nation against foreign threats—not to police political dissent at home. Even the preparation to deploy active-duty forces signals a troubling willingness to blur the long-standing boundary between civilian governance and military power.

History and precedent demand restraint. When military force is introduced into domestic political disputes, public trust erodes—both in civilian leadership and in the armed forces themselves. Such actions risk normalizing the use of military power to manage civil unrest, rather than addressing underlying issues through lawful civilian authorities, dialogue, and de-escalation.

NSL4A urges federal officials to step back from inflammatory rhetoric and extraordinary measures, and to reaffirm their commitment to constitutional norms, civilian control grounded in law, and the protection of fundamental rights. Preserving democratic legitimacy requires restraint, transparency, and fidelity to the rule of law—especially in moments of political tension.