'Political theater:' Activists call on Gov. Mike DeWine to not send National Guard to D.C.
They expressed concern that sending troops to Washington, D.C., today could lead to sending National Guard members to Ohio cities tomorrow.
"If the Trump administration is willing to create political drama and create an emergency by creating an emergency, it is very likely that they will do it again," said Catherine Turcer, executive director of Common Cause Ohio, outside the Ohio Statehouse on Aug. 20. "We need to say 'no' now so that it doesn't spread."
"How soon will we see National Guard from other states in places like Ohio, in cities like Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus?" asked Gary Daniels, legislative director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio. "This is just the very beginning."
A viral video detailing a violent fight in downtown Cincinnati led Republican politicians to criticize the city's safety, despite lower crime rates in most neighborhoods. DeWine told the statehouse bureau that there was no plan to send the Ohio National Guard to Cincinnati or any other Ohio city.
DeWine is one of the three Republican governors sending National Guard members to the nation's capital as President Trump aims to crack down on crime in the city. The Trump administration has sent D.C. National Guard to the city and taken over the local police department.
Violent crime is down in Washington, D.C. and across the nation, but that's not the perception among Americans who year after year report feeling like crime is getting worse.
"This political theater has got to end. Our National Guard families and our soldiers deserve better," said Adam Miller, a former Democratic state lawmaker running against U.S. Rep. Mike Carey. He is a retired Army JAG colonel.
DeWine has defended his decision to send 150 troops to help the D.C. National Guard at the request of the Secretary of the Army Daniel P. Driscoll. DeWine said it was consistent with past deployments and "the right thing to do."
"The record does not reflect their criticism," DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said in response to the Aug. 20 complaints.
But activists say DeWine should have said "no" to the Secretary's request rather than adding troops to what they say is a questionable mission.
"(DeWine) has chosen to be part of the problem instead of part of the solution," Daniels said.
State government reporter Jessie Balmert can be reached at jbalmert@gannett.com or @jbalmert on X.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Political theater has got to end:' Groups slam National Guard deployment
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