The Rev. Al Sharpton on Tuesday said the Trump administration is “assaulting American citizens” amid President Trump’s increasing federal crackdowns on blue cities and states.
“And here we are on the eve of what happened in Israel, October 7, and we're dealing with what's going on in Gaza,” Sharpton told MSNBC’s Ari Melber on “The Beat.”
“The contradiction of trying to resolve and get peace in the Middle East while you are assaulting American citizens at the same time is a glaring contradiction of the Trump years.”
Democratic Govs. JB Pritzker (Ill.) and Gavin Newsom (Calif.) recently threatened to leave the National Governors Association unless the group condemned Trump’s sending of National Guard troops to their states.
“This is precisely the federal and interstate overreach we warned against — gubernatorial authority being trampled, state sovereignty being ignored, and the constitutional balance between states being attacked,” Pritzker said in a letter to NGA Chair Kevin Stitt (R-Okla.).
“The credibility of the National Governors Association — and our integrity as state executives—rests on our willingness to apply our principles consistently, regardless of which administration attacks them,” he added.
On Tuesday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson (D) described the expected National Guard deployment in the Windy City as “illegal, unconstitutional” and “dangerous,” as local officials waited on the arrival of federalized troops.
Johnson told reporters during a press conference that the Trump administration had not shared details with his team on the president’s plans to send in the National Guard.
“As far as what we are hearing, the National Guard — first of all, it’s illegal, unconstitutional, it’s dangerous, it’s wrong. This is not about deportation. This is not about safety for this president,” Johnson said amid the press conference.
“This is about authoritarianism. It’s about stoking fear,” he added.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
Source: The Hill - News
