Brigadier General Alan R. Gronewold, the Head of the Oregon National Guard, enrages MAGA world by bravely testifying that his troops will focus on “protecting any protesters” at ICE facilities if they’re deployed.
This is NOT the fascist fantasy that Republicans envisioned…
“One, to defend America, and two, to protect Oregonians. And so by serving in this mission, they will be protecting any protesters at the ICE facility,” Gronewold said of the National Guard’s priorities while testifying in front of Oregon lawmakers.
While the testimony before a state Senate subcommittee occurred on September 30th, the footage has since gone viral, with MAGA world reacting with outrage while normal, patriotic Americans are praising Gronewold’s remarks.
Trump has been trying to characterize the city of Portland, Oregon as a “war zone” to justify his authoritarian crackdowns. The city and state are now awaiting a decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on Trump’s ability to deploy the National Guard. Over the weekend a federal judge paused Trump’s troop mobilization, but the final decision is still up in the air.
Gronewold told the lawmakers that his soldiers would be trained in “protective crowd control” before deploying. MAGA supporters were hoping for a bloodthirsty attack on protestors similar to what Trump’s brutal, masked ICE agents have displayed.
“We’re the home team, and our job is to protect and serve Oregonians, and we follow lawful orders, and that’s what we’re doing. Please treat them with dignity and respect,” Gronewold added.
In a letter sent to his troops on September 29th, Gronewold said that they must obey the president and governor, but reminded them that they’re sworn to uphold the Constitution — an oath that could prove to be a serious stumbling block for Trump’s authoritarian ambitions.
“I know some of you may have strong feelings about this mission. That’s Okay. You are citizens first, but you’re also service members who took an oath to support and defend the Constitution and follow the orders of the President and the Governor,” wrote Gronewold. “That oath doesn’t come with an asterisk that says, ‘Only when I agree with the mission.’”
This is the kind of courage that America desperately needs right now. While Republicans are fantasizing about a civil war and urging their draft-dodging president to escalate his fascist tactics, hard-working professional, military men like General Gronewold are holding the line.
Thank you for your service.
