Gov. Tim Walz says he anticipates President Trump will send the National Guard to Minnesota.
Walz attended the North Star Summit for a panel with Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois to discuss state and federal leadership.
“I think it’s logical for them to come here,” said Walz. “We fall into exactly what they’re trying to target, blue cities, in places that he wants to make an impact.”
The moderator asked Walz whether he was preparing for a possible deployment.
“We’re preparing for it. We’re preparing to use the court. We’re preparing to follow all the laws as they’re written to challenge them on this,” said Walz. “But I think it’s really important for the citizens to see this is not normal.”
Walz also said he began to think about the possibility of troops being sent to Minnesota months ago.
“Prior to last year, we started to think about what would happen. Governors were talking together about what the implications look like,” said Walz.
On Monday, Illinois and Chicago filed suit to block the deployment of the National Guard in the state’s largest city. A judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order.
Pritzker said during Tuesday’s discussion, he feels the National Guard patrolling Chicago would be “unconstitutional invasion.”
Walz also took a moment to attack the federal government during the shutdown, saying governors still have work to do.
“You do your job, and we’ll do ours. And the fact of the matter is we’re doing ours. I don’t have to remind you; the government is shut down,” said Walz. “So yes, we’re preparing for it. But the challenge for governors is, we have to simultaneously deliver and do the services. And right now there is no desire in the federal government to do that. They’re not fulfilling their obligations, they’re not getting the work done, they’re not doing any of that.”
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