Tulsi Gabbard Endorses Donald Trump at National Guard Event in Michigan

Democrat-turned-Independent Tulsi Gabbard, a former congresswoman from Hawaii, is endorsing former President Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race against Vice President Kamala Harris. Gabbard served as the Democratic representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021, but announced her exit from the party in 2022 after denouncing it as an "elitist cabal of warmongers." The former Democrat, who ran in the 2019 Democratic presidential primary against Harris, was recently recruited by Trump to help with debate prep ahead of his September 10 face-off against the vice president at the National Constitutional Center in Philadelphia. The conference — which is the association’s annual business meeting — began Friday at Huntington Place, the Motor City’s main convention center. More than 4,200 Guard officers, their spouses and other guests are registered to attend. Besides association business, the conference agenda includes Pentagon leaders and lawmakers every year. During presidential election years, NGAUS also invited Democratic and Republican nominees for president. The association has hosted at least one major party candidate in every presidential election year since 1992. Trump spoke at the NGAUS conference in Baltimore, Maryland, when he was the Republican nominee for president in 2016. "Members of the National Guard are more than defenders of democracy, we’re all participants," said retired Maj. Gen. Francis M. McGinn, the NGA's president. "We want to know how the next administration will support the National Guard and whether the Guard will continue its prominent role in the National Defense Strategy. "We’re looking forward to hearing what President Trump has to say," he added. The association also invited Vice President Kamala Harris, the 2024 Democratic nominee for president, to speak at this year's conference. The rest of the business agenda for this weekend's conference is available at www.ngaus.org/146th-general-conference-exhibition-business-agenda.

Former President Trump will address the National Guard Association (NGAUS) Monday afternoon at the organization’s conference, currently underway in Detroit. Officers from each state’s Army and Air National Guard, Defense Department officials and policy makers attend this annual gathering of the NGAUS, a nonprofit lobby group. Earlier today, Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery to honor 13 U.S. service members who lost their lives Aug. 26, 2021, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan. The former president has said that the blame for their deaths lies with President Biden’s execution of the action. Both President Biden and Vice President Harris also offered their respect to the fallen soldiers on the anniversary of Kabul airport bombing that cost them their lives. Trump is expected to speak at the NGAUS General Conference & Exhibition at 2 p.m. EDT.

FULL SPEECH: Trump Addresses the National Guard Association of the U.S. in Detroit - 8/26/24

 

Military Vet on How VP Pick Tim Walz Abandoned Fellow National Guard Members When They Got Deployed

Megyn Kelly is joined by veteran Tom Behrends to discuss his personal military experience serving with VP pick Gov. Tim Walz in the National Guard, the controversy over Walz leaving the military rather than serving in Iraq, questions of leadership that it shows, whether Walz is a traitor and deserted the men in his unit, and more.

The Truth About Florida State Guard’s Special Operations Unit

SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2024/03/the-truth-about-florida-state-guards-special-operations-unit; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Founders wanted to create similar special operations units across a coalition of states that would not be subject to federal oversight or presidential authority.

A student at Stronghold SOF Solutions engages ground targets from an MH-6 Little Bird. (All photos, screenshots and videos courtesy of Stronghold SOF Solutions.

When Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he was “reactivating” the Florida State Guard nearly two years ago, veteran special operators and business partners Brandon Graves and Tom Morton knew they could contribute, so they locked themselves in their office and began writing an unsolicited proposal that they planned to send to the governor’s team.

Graves and Morton recently opened Stronghold SOF Solutions, a one-of-a-kind tactical training facility located in Florida’s Panhandle. Stronghold’s training staff are all former special operators. The 50-acre facility is just minutes from the 7th Special Forces Group. Just a few of Stronghold’s offerings include a two-story live-fire shooting house, a 4160-foot runway, four 360-degree dynamic ranges, MOUT/SOUC sites, an underground training facility and a demolition range that can support up to 40-pound charges. The facility has a clubhouse, drone-friendly airspace and helos – a Soviet-designed Mi-17 and a Boeing MH-6, better known as a Little Bird, which has become the taxi of choice for many special operators.

In their proposal, Graves and Morton wrote of an untapped resource – retired special operations veterans – who would be the perfect force to fulfil FSG’s mission of responding to natural or manmade disasters. They offered to select, train and validate a 60-man special operations force.

“We got their attention in Tallahassee,” Graves said. “They were excited about it.”

Morton said the concept they floated in their proposal is the same concept that led to the creation of Stronghold.

“One reason we built this place was to be a stronghold for our colleagues getting out,” he said. “We wanted this to be a place to help guys springboard into their next life. GWOT (Global War on Terror) is basically over, and there are thousands of guys with 20 or more years of experience in special operations, which cost the government millions of dollars to produce. We’re trying to leverage that talent and make it available to this state and other states.”

Florida awarded Stronghold SOF Solutions a no-bid contract worth up to $1.2 million. Graves and Morton knew the legacy media would push back against their efforts, yet neither special operator anticipated the ferocity of the media’s attack.

A 450-year history

The Florida State Guard traced its lineage to 1565, when the Spanish in St. Augustine stood up to the first company of armed citizen volunteers, according to the FSG website.

Three-hundred and seventy-six years later, in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt federalized many states’ National Guard units and sent them to war. In response, the Florida Legislature created today’s Florida State Guard to safeguard the Sunshine State.

On June 14, 2022, DeSantis announced he was reactivating the FSG with a “statewide rapid response land-based, maritime, and aviation capabilities.”

Last week, 205 candidates passed the FSG’s three-week Initial Entry Training and will join the 120 State Guardsmen who were already part of the group.

“The Florida State Guard serves an important role in emergency response for the state. I am pleased to see this important volunteer force continue to grow to serve the people of Florida,” DeSantis said in a statement.

While many of these candidates had prior military service, they should not be confused with the 60-man special operations force Graves and Morton helped create, which is known officially as the Florida State Guard Special Operations Company, or SOC.

A drone equipped with night vision captures a “squirter” during training at Stronghold’s live-fire shoot house. (All photos, screenshots and videos courtesy of Stronghold SOF Solutions.

Special Operations Company

The SOC is chock-full of tabs, tridents, wings and berets. Its members include former Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Special Forces, MARSOC Marines, Air Force Special Operations veterans and more.

“The vast majority are prior SOF guys, but we did select a few other skills,” Morton said. “The FSG has a more law enforcement-centric mission than purely military, so we attempted to build a team that would be successful at this mission.”

“Every one of them has the SOF mindset,” Graves said. “We vetted and trained all of them.”

The state agreed to purchase guns and gear for the SOC. As it stands now, the 60 members are issued Sig-Sauer P-320 9mm handguns and Sig-Sauer MCX-SPEAR Carbines.

The kit state officials purchased for the SOC leaves little to be desired. However, special operators are seldom satisfied with any issued gear.

Students train at Close Quarters Battle and shoot while moving. (All photos, screenshots and videos courtesy of Stronghold SOF Solutions.

Three things at once

The state contract required Stronghold to “select, train and validate” a 60-man force in just two weeks.

“Those three aspects of a training environment are located at different points in a SOF unit’s work-up cycle,” Morton said. “And we had two weeks to do all of that. Fortunately for the SOF community, training never really stops. We piggy-backed off of the military’s investment. We really just needed to perform a function check, to make sure all the skills were still there.”

Stronghold’s trainers started with a series of rifle and pistol qualifications on a flat range, along with vehicle work and bail-out drills. The trainers transitioned to battlefield medical training, using Special Forces 18-Delta medics. All members are now certified in TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care).

During week one, the operators worked on individual Close Quarters Battle skills in the shoot house. “We were watching closely,” Morton said. “We were taking metrics of everything.”

During week two they focused on team-based skills, including aircraft operations with the Mi-17 and Little Bird. The second week added maritime skills, which were taught by a Coast Guardsman and Navy SEALs and included VBSS (Visit Board Search and Seizure) missions in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The best way to think about this training is less military and more like Coast Guard or law enforcement stops out on the water,” Morton said.

Toward the end of week two, the students were put through validating exercises – full mission profiles of maritime interdictions on the water, and hostage rescue missions using simulations, which were conducted in the shoot house.

“They received their warning order, planned, moved to the shoot house, entered, cleared and exfilled,” Graves said. “We had excellent role players who would escalate their behavior during the training. It started with verbal abuse, throwing things away, then brandishing a weapon but not pointing it. In the final escalation, the role player would point and shoot. We were really hyper-focused on when to use force. These guys really shouldn’t need to go to that level yet. We want to make sure they’re ready, but we don’t anticipate anything close to that level of threat.”

Media Pushback

The legacy media has tried to label Graves a DeSantis supporter as if to imply that Stronghold’s no-bid contract was awarded for personal or political reasons. However, neither Gaves nor Morton or Stronghold have ever donated a dollar to any of DeSantis’ political campaigns. (Nor have they ever met DeSantis personally.)

This type of bashing was expected.

“It’s fair to say we quickly realized there was a political aspect to all of this,” Morton said. “Whenever politics are involved, the media is going to take every opportunity to spin it in a different way – their way. There are a lot of training companies out there, but I’m not aware of one like ours in the state of Florida – especially one with our facilities.”

What was not expected was the media’s bashing of an American hero.

“The engagement of a combat training company with links to an accused war criminal raises serious questions about the intentions of Florida Governor DeSantis’s civilian military force,” a reporter wrote of one Stronghold trainer, retired Navy SEAL Chief Eddie Gallagher.

"To single out Gallagher was a new low and extremely unfair," Morton said.

“If they really knew his story, he’s a guy who served his country for 20 years. He’s a true warfighter. He’s been in the worst situations. He pushed through Mosul, which was extreme. He took care of his guys. In my opinion, he is a great example of what a patriot should be. They really used all that against him. "Most of the media’s negative coverage that’s been pointed at us was through our relationship with Eddie,” Morton said.

To be clear, Gallagher ran afoul of the normal tension and distrust that exists between the conventional Navy and the extremely unconventional SEAL Teams. It’s something any special operator can face, regardless of their branch of service. Gallagher was charged with seven crimes but acquitted of six. President Trump immediately congratulated Gallagher via Twitter. Four weeks later, Trump ordered the Secretary of the Navy to revoke the Navy Achievement Medals, which were given to Gallagher’s prosecutors as a reward for their prosecution.

The Navy didn’t give up despite the acquittal and ordered Gallagher demoted from E-7 to E-6. Trump intervened and stopped the demotion cold. Undeterred, the Navy quickly convened a “Trident Review Board,” to determine whether Gallaher should be stripped of his SEAL Trident. For Trump, that was too much. He tweeted: “The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin. This case was handled very badly from the beginning. Get back to business!”

Graves has zero regrets. He and Morton consider Gallagher a close friend and one of their best instructors.

“In special operations, there are guys who are trained and guys who are experienced,” he said. “Eddie is both trained and experienced. From a practical standpoint, he is one of the best guys we can bring in. He is a confident, capable, highly experienced guy. Unfortunately, the system turned its teeth on him.”

New Federalism

Graves and Morton are in talks with officials in Texas and Louisiana who have expressed interest in creating special operations units in their states.

“It’s federalism – trying to get the decision-making back to the state level,” Graves said. “We need a system where the states can rely on each other. We can create similar units in a coalition of states if they put the financial means behind it. We can vet, train and run the exact program, so anytime there’s a manmade or natural disaster, the states can send each other resources.”

Morton added that they are not trying to replace federal resources. They want to give governors additional options.

“We are certainly not opposed to federal assistance,” Morton said. “What we are really getting at is trying to help the state create the environment where states have the means to solve their own problems.”

Said Graves: “The concept whereby states begin to arm themselves and build the capabilities of State Guards removes the ability of the federal government to leverage their assistance.”

This story was presented by the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project and wouldn’t be possible without you. Click here to make a tax-deductible donation to support more pro-gun stories like this.


About Lee Williams

Lee Williams, who is also known as “The Gun Writer,” is the chief editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Journalism Project. Until recently, he was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida. Before becoming editor, Lee was an investigative reporter at newspapers in three states and the U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army. He’s earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter and three medals of valor as a cop. Lee is an avid tactical shooter.

Lee Williams

It Begins: Texas Border Battle-Abbotts Fiery response to Biden over Federalizing National Guard

Texas Border Battle. Texas prepared in ‘unlikely event’ Biden federalizes the National Guard. Border standoff between Texas feds intensifies as governor defies Supreme Court ruling. Texas arresting Migrants. "This is not over," Texas Governor Abbott said in a social media post. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court siding with the Department of Homeland Security to allow federal border officials to cut state-installed razor wires along the Rio Grande, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and state Attorney General Ken Paxton said the larger legal battle between Texas and the Biden administration is far from settled. Texas keeps adding Razor wires. Texas state Law Passes Allowing State Police to Arrest Immigrants. The Texas House passed legislation earlier making it a state crime to illegally cross the southern border, empowering state and local police to arrest and in some cases deport illegal immigrants, in what the bill’s supporters claim is a response to federal inaction. Senate Bill 4 gives local and state governments the authority to arrest illegal immigrants who enter Texas from Mexico between official ports of entry. Under SB 4, those who unlawfully cross the border can be charged with a state misdemeanor and face up to one year in prison. A felony charge, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years, can be leveled if illegal immigrants are charged with additional crimes or don’t comply with a judge’s orders. The bill also authorizes state judges to deport illegal aliens to Mexico rather than pursue prosecution under federal law. After getting approval from the Texas senate last week, the latest version of SB 4 now heads to Republican governor Greg Abbott’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law.

It Begins: Texas Border Battle; Texas Vs Biden Admin over MigrantCrisis; Federalizing National Guard

Texas Border Battle. Texas prepared in ‘unlikely event’ Biden federalizes National Guard. Border standoff between Texas, feds intensifies as governor defies Supreme Court ruling. Texas arresting Migrants. "This is not over," Texas Governor Abbott said in a social media post. Despite the U.S. Supreme Court siding with the Department of Homeland Security to allow federal border officials to cut state-installed razor wire along the Rio Grande, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and state Attorney General Ken Paxton said the larger legal battle between Texas and the Biden administration is far from settled. Texas keeps adding Razor wires. Texas state Law Passes Allowing State Police to Arrest Immigrants. The Texas House passed legislation earlier making it a state crime to illegally cross the southern border, empowering state and local police to arrest and in some cases deport illegal immigrants, in what the bill’s supporters claim is a response to federal inaction. Senate Bill 4 gives local and state government the authority to arrest illegal immigrants who enter Texas from Mexico between official ports of entry. Under SB 4, those who unlawfully cross the border can be charged with a state misdemeanor and face up to one year in prison. A felony charge, carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years, can be leveled if illegal immigrants are charged with additional crimes or don’t comply with a judge’s orders. The bill also authorizes state judges to deport illegal aliens to Mexico rather than pursue prosecution under federal law. 

TEXAS ESCALATES As Chip Roy Steps Up Federal Showdown No Matter What~Democrat Calls For Biden To SIEZE CONTROL Of TX National Guard

DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS!

Democrat Calls For Biden To SIEZE CONTROL Of TX National Guard, CIVIL WAR

Red States RISE UP and STAND WITH TEXAS!!!

GOV ABBOT CLOSES BORDER WITH TEXAS NATIONAL GUARD. FEDS KICKED OUT!

Texas Is At War With The Feds

The Texas National Guard has seized control of a park at the U.S. southern border and is now blocking Border Patrol from entering the area – part of an effort to stop the surge of illegal immigration into Texas and a move likely to significantly increase tensions between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the federal government. The state government has taken control of Shelby Park in the city of Eagle Pass, Texas, which has been at the center of the migrant crisis that has engulfed the U.S. border. Authorities have now set up razor wire and fences to block off the area.

Gov. Hochul Deploys Nat’l Guard To Assist With Migrant Crisis In NY

Gov. Hochul Deploys Nat’l Guard To Assist With Migrant Crisis In NY

A bus carrying migrants from Texas arrives at Port Authority Bus Terminal on August 10, 2022 in New York. - Texas has sent thousands of migrants from the border state into Washington, DC, New York City, and other areas. (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP) (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)
A bus carrying migrants from Texas arrives at Port Authority Bus Terminal on August 10, 2022 in New York. – Texas has sent thousands of migrants from the border state into Washington, DC, New York City, and other areas. (Photo by YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN’s James Meyers
11:00 AM – Tuesday, September 26, 2023

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/gov-hochul-deploys-natl-guard-to-assist-with-migrant-crisis-in-ny/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

Democrat New York Governor Kathy Hochul has called in the National Guard to help with the ongoing migrant crisis in her state.

The announcement came on Monday, which includes an additional 150 National Guard members on top of the already 2,000 members dealing with the flood of migrants. 

Additionally, Hochul (D-N.Y.) said 250 of the National Guard members’ main focus will be on “case management” to help assist Venezuelans who came before July 31st, 2023, in applying for Temporary Protected Status, and later on, work authorization. 

This comes after the Biden administration announced that illegal immigrants from Venezuela who have been in the United States since July 31st, 2023, will be eligible to apply for Temporary Protected Status. 

“Now that we have the opportunity granted by President Biden to help the Venezuelans who came before July 31st be able to apply for temporary protective status and what follow that literally with the same application, is the work authorization — that coveted work authorization. That’s their ticket to the American Dream,” she said.

“You’ll be helping them get a job, helping them support themselves, helping them leave these shelters, because I believe they did not come all these thousands of miles to live in a shelter with hundreds, if not thousands of others,” Hochul said. “So the National Guard has already been working to survey them. We have different categories. Some people are eligible to work right now if they already came in through the Customs and Border Protection app. There are people qualified for that. There are parolees eligible to work. There are the asylum seekers who need to apply for asylum and wait 180 days. And now we have this new category that allow the expedited work permits for Venezuelans who arrived here earlier.”

Hochul stated that this plan will be costing the state $22 million monthly, due to the deployment of National Guardsmen. She also asserted that she has dedicated over $50 million to support case management all over The Empire State. 

Additionally, Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D-N.Y.) recently expressed that the migrant crisis will “destroy” New York if they do not receive more federal financial support. 

President Joe Biden did not meet with Adams but instead met with Hochul in his recent visit to New York.

The Biden administration announced after the visit that Homeland Security would be approving work authorization and deportation delays for close to 470,000 Venezuelans already residing in the U.S.

“After an intensive lobbying effort with the White House and the collaboration that resulted with President Biden being engaged and helping us with that decision on the asylum seekers just a few days ago, that is a path. It is a very strong opportunity for us to start helping some of these people,” Hochul said Monday.

“And the numbers continue to grow, and we’re there to be their partners. But to those who question even why this is happening, this is New York,” she said. “You need to remember this is New York. We celebrate our diversity. We celebrate who we are. We will not be this state if we were not open to immigrants around the world.”

Furthermore, the New York governor said the state is currently covering between 40% to 45% of the housing costs of migrants so far.

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Republicans sound alarm on IRS spending millions on weapons and tactical gear~Oklahoma Congresswoman Stephanie Bice Begins Inquiry Into IRS Militarization

BY ROY FRANCIS

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/republican-sounds-alarm-on-irs-spending-millions-on-weapons-and-tactical-gear/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

OAN’s Roy Francis
11:25 AM – Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Representative Stephanie Bice has demanded a full accounting from the Internal Revenue Service, saying that the nearly $10 million spent by the agency on weapons and tactical gear since 2020 is “concerning.”

In a letter addressed to the IRS Commissioner, Daniel Werfel, Bice (R-Okla.) said that “the increasing militarization of the IRS is of growing concern.”

“I write to you today to express my concerns regarding the increased rate of weapon purchases by the Internal Revenue Service,” the letter said. “While I recognize the Criminal Investigation division has a law enforcement role, recent reports have indicated that the IRS has made substantial purchases of weaponry and tactical gear. As a civilian agency whose stated mission is to ‘Provide America’s taxpayers top-quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and enforce the law with integrity and fairness to all,’ the increasing militarization of the IRS is of growing concern.”

Since 2006, the IRS has spent over $35 million on weapons and tactical gear, with over $10 million being spent since 2020 alone.

A report released in April by the watchdog group, OpenTheBooks, which tracks government spending showed that the IRS has spent around $2.3 million on ammunition, $1.2 million on ballistic shields, $474,000 on Smith and Wesson rifles, $463,000 on Beretta 1301 tactical shotguns, and $243,000 on body armor. The report also showed $1.3 million which was spent on “various other gear for criminal investigation agents.”

The mission of the IRS according to their website is “to provide America’s taxpayers top quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibilities and to enforce the law with integrity and fairness to all.”

However, the agency has loaded up on hundreds of thousands worth of tactical lighting, gear bags, holsters, ballistic helmets, and optic sights for the weapons that they have purchased since the pandemic. Before 2020, the IRS had already stockpiled over five million rounds of ammunition for its special agents, which number a little over 2,000.

The IRS also owned over 4,500 firearms which include pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns, semi-automatic rifles, and submachine guns.

According to the agency, new applicants must be willing “carry a firearm; must be prepared to protect him/herself or others from physical attacks at any time and without warning and use firearms in life-threatening situations; must be willing to use force up to and including the use of deadly force.”

According to OpenTheBooks, there are now “more federal agents with arrest and firearm authority (200,000) than U.S. Marines (186,000).”

In 2022, President Joe Biden gave the agency over $80 billion in new funding as part of his $739 billion Inflation Reduction Act.

Bice quoted the findings by OpenTheBooks and asked the IRS commissioner to respond within five business days and provide “information on the account(s) the IRS has used to purchase such weapons, gear, and ammunition.”

She also asked the commissioner to provide “data on the quantity and type(s) of items listed below in possession of the IRS: Weapons, Weapon systems, Ammunition, Explosive devices, Armored vehicles, Drones/UAVs, Chemical weapons (tear gas and other calming agents.)”

The Republican ended her letter by saying that it is “important for Congress to conduct thorough oversight of IRS, and the American people deserve to have a full accounting of these recent events.”

“We need to know exactly the types and quantities of weapons and ammunition the IRS has in their possession. If the IRS fails to provide a response to Congressional oversight, I will pursue further actions to hold them accountable,” Brice told Fox News.

Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts

_______________________________________________________________

Oklahoma Congresswoman Stephanie Bice Begins Inquiry Into IRS Militarization

BY ALAN GOTTLIEB

SEE: https://www.ammoland.com/2023/07/oklahoma-congresswoman-stephanie-bice-begins-inquiry-into-irs-militarization;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today applauded Oklahoma Congresswoman Stephanie Bice for requesting information from the Internal Revenue Service about the weapons and accessories it has purchased in recent years, turning the tax agency into what appears to be a quasi-military operation.

Rep. Bice sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, inquiring about the account(s) IRS used to purchase “weapons, gear, and ammunition,” and “data on the types of modifications to IRS-issued weapons that have been approved…” She has asked for a reply within five business days.

“Congresswoman Bice isn’t the only one who wants some answers,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb.

“As we noted more than a month ago, the IRS has reportedly spent $2.3 million on ammunition, nearly $475,000 on Smith & Wesson rifles, another $463,000 for Beretta tactical shotguns, and $1.2 million on ballistic shields. We would very much like to know what’s going on here, and so would our members.”

Gottlieb recalled Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms became interested when U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) announced legislation in June dubbed the “Why Does the IRS Have Guns Act.” About the same time, published reports revealed the agency has spent tens of millions of dollars on firearms and equipment for several years, with the pace apparently picking up after Joe Biden took office.

“Last month,” he said,” we supported Sen. Joni Ernst when she announced legislation to disarm the IRS, and likewise we support Rep. Bice in her effort to get the facts. The IRS has some explaining to do, and so does the Biden administration. For a president who wants to restrict the gun rights of law-abiding American citizens, Biden sure seems keen on having federal agencies armed to the teeth.

“We are hopeful Rep. Bice gets all the information she’s requested,” Gottlieb added, “so she can share it with the taxpayers whose money has been spent on all of this hardware. If IRS Commissioner Werfel isn’t forthcoming with the information, the public and Congress should start asking why.”


Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

With more than 650,000 members and supporters nationwide, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (www.ccrkba.org) is one of the nation’s premier gun rights organizations. As a non-profit organization, the Citizens Committee is dedicated to preserving firearms freedoms through active lobbying of elected officials and facilitating grass-roots organization of gun rights activists in local communities throughout the United States.

Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms

 

Governor Ron Desantis activates National Guard in Florida Keys to stop influx of illegal migrants

As the influx of migrants in the Florida Keys continued, a frustrated Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered state National Guard troops to active duty on Friday. The governor of the Republican Party then criticized President Joe Biden for not dealing with the problem, describing the president's overall response to the border and immigration crises as "inept" and stating that the administration has "failed to provide the resources necessary to respond to the current mass migration event."

Texas National Guard Deploys Razor Wire, Military Vehicles on Border Near El Paso

Texas National Guard Deploys Razor Wire, Military Vehicles on Border Near El Paso

National Guard and state troopers are blocking migrants at the border in El Paso

BY JAMES MURPHY

SEE: https://thenewamerican.com/texas-national-guard-deploys-razor-wire-military-vehicles-on-border-near-el-paso/;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes.

On Tuesday, the Texas National Guard’s 36th Infantry Division began deploying personnel, military vehicles, and concertina wire (aka razor wire) on the state’s border with Mexico in an attempt to slow down illegal immigration, which has significantly increased since the Biden administration was put in charge in 2021. The deployment is largely confined to the El Paso area.

The deployment seems to be, at least in part, a reaction to El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser’s declaration of December 17, in which the city declared that it “is faced with the imminent threat of widespread injury or loss of life resulting from a surge in transient migrants traveling to the region.”

In addition, on November 15, Texas Governor Greg Abbott invoked invasion clauses of the U.S. and Texas Constitutions and hinted such actions by the Texas National Guard might take place in response to the influx of illegal immigrants absent any federal assistance, which has been lacking during the Biden administration.

Abbott called out the Biden administration for its lackadaisical attitude where the border is concerned.

“President Biden will go anywhere … except the border,” Abbott tweeted. “Texas communities are bearing the burden of Biden’s open border policies. As the federal government does nothing, we continue to step up to secure our border.”

Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution states: “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them from Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.”

And Article 1, Section 10, Clause 3 states that “No State shall, without the Consent of Congress, lay any Duty of Tonnage, keep Troops, or Ships of War in time of Peace, enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power, or engage in War, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent Danger as will not admit delay.” (Emphasis added.)

Texas and Arizona in particular believe that they are in “such imminent Danger.” President Biden has been invited many times to observe the situation but, thus far, has declined.

As Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich recently told popular commentator Tim Pool’s TimCast program, “The reality is, if you look at Article 1, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution, you look at Article 4, the Section 4 of the Constitution, I mean, the states have a right to defend themselves, and the federal government has an obligation to defend the states against an invasion.”

“And when they do not do so, the governors of the respective states acting as essentially commander-in-chiefs of their states can order their militia [to] mobilize their national guard to fight or repel that invasion,” the Arizona AG concluded.

Title 42, a provision of federal law that allows the federal government to keep aliens from entering the country to prevent communicable diseases, was set to end this week, which prompted a huge number of migrants to gather in the dangerous Mexican border city of Juárez. The U.S. Border Patrol has been deluged for two years now, and state governments are finally getting the message that the federal government will not help.

At least one Texas judge believes that the Texas National Guard has overstepped its bounds as it pertains to the border situation.

“I am very confident that it was not coordinated with Border Patrol,” said El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego. “I have always insisted that any assistance from the state has to be part of our overall strategy and in lockstep with our own enforcement strategy.”

Despite Washington’s ambivalence, the situation at the southern border is quite dangerous to American citizens, and also to the immigrants who look to cross the U.S. border.

“I’m concerned for the safety and welfare of the migrants but the cartels are not,” Major General Win Burkett told the New York Post.

Burkett commands 500 Texas National Guard troops at the border and believes that drug cartels are taking advantage of the confusing situation.

“[The drug cartels] are exploiting this migrant surge so that they can have unimpeded access to the border,” Burkett said. “Our message to the migrants is that this is not safe. There have been drownings every day of people crossing the river at Eagle Pass where the water is deep, and there is a high risk of hypothermia as the temperature drops.”

The deployment of razor wire, military vehicles, and armed personnel on the border lies directly at the feet of the Biden administration, which seems to be actively working against any border control rather than enforcing it. States such as Texas now have no other option than to deal with the situation on their own or simply allow themselves to be invaded.

And it’s not “anti-immigrant” or “racist” to say so.

Texas National Guard Secures the Border but Can Only Do so Much

BY ATHENA THORNE

SEE: https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/athena-thorne/2022/12/21/texas-national-guard-secures-the-border-but-can-only-do-so-much-n1655369;

Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, & research purposes

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has been doing the federal government’s job for some time now, cobbling together policies, legal cover, manpower, and infrastructure to repel at least a portion of the hordes the Democrats are importing into the country. In March of 2021, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, an initiative of the Governor’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), and the Texas National Guard “to work together to secure the border; stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas; and prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry.”

The Texas Tribune described the rollout a year later:

When Abbott first announced Operation Lone Star, 500 Texas National Guard members were sent to the border, and HB 9 funded a deployment of an additional 1,800 soldiers in September 2021. Later that month, Abbott directed 1,000 DPS personnel and 400 more Texas National Guard members to the border in response to the sudden arrival of 16,000 migrants in Del Rio.

The operation was massively upscaled in November 2021, sending up to 10,000 National Guard members to the border.

Last month, Abbott’s office reported:

Since the launch of Operation Lone Star, the multi-agency effort has led to over 325,000 migrant apprehensions and more than 21,900 criminal arrests, with more than 19,400 felony charges reported. In the fight against fentanyl, DPS has seized over 352 million lethal doses of fentanyl during this border mission.

Related: Biden’s Legally Dubious Scheme to Bypass Migration Caps

But Joe Biden’s invited guests have only increased their numbers. A week after being reelected last month, Abbott invoked the Invasion Clauses of the Texas and U.S. Constitutions, unlocking additional powers to help defend his state and nation from the third-world invasion.

Now reports are coming in that the Texas National Guard is deploying personnel, concertina wire, and vehicles along the border to repel the invaders.

But alas, the state can only do so much in the face of federal determination to pack the country with a new, socialism-ready underclass.

Texas’s valiant efforts may at least work partway to “stop the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and people into Texas” and “prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry,” but it won’t accomplish much to stop the invasion. Only a policy change at the federal level can do that. So for the time being, the unspeakable betrayal of U.S. citizens by a major political party will continue unabated.

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