Gov. Pritzker convenes retired military generals, rear admirals, veterans

CHICAGO (WAND) - Governor JB Pritzker convened a group of retired former military generals, rear admirals, and veterans Thursday to hear their perspectives on what he calls the "Trump Administration's ongoing exploitation and politicization of America's service members," and the military being deployed to cities.

Pritzker said retired military leaders expressed concerns over what he called "Trump's continued abuse of power and attempts to politicize the military."

"I'm grateful to have the clarity given by the retired generals, rear admirals, and veterans here with me today. With their combine wealth of experience, I have been hearing from them about what this dangerous power grab by the Trump administration means for our state," said Governor Pritzker. "One thing is evident: this effort to deploy troops in American cities is not normal. There is no justification for such a deployment, and it echoes the rise of authoritarian regimes throughout world history. Illinois is not a place you can conquer. And our people are not your subjects. Period."

Pritzker was joined by former Illinois National Guard Adjutant General, Major General William L. Enyart (U.S. Army, Ret.); Major General Randy Manner (U.S. Army, Ret.); Major General Paul Eaton (U.S. Army, Ret.); Lieutenant General Charles Luckey (U.S. Army, Ret.); Rear Admiral Michael Smith (U.S. Navy, Ret.); CEO of National Security Leaders for America, and Janessa Goldbeck (U.S. Marine Corps. veteran), CEO of the Vet Voice Foundation.

Major General William L. Enyart said, "Our National Guard members are trained to defend our nation and to respond to natural disasters. They are not policemen, nor are they political pawns. We took an oath to the Constitution of this great nation and that's why I am here today - to stand up to the overreach of the federal government and defend our brave servicemen and women who put their lives on the line for our country and our communities."

Major General Randy Manner said, "Our military and National Guard are designed for combat and responding to grave emergencies, not community policing. When we blur that line, we risk turning our streets into battlefields and our citizens into potential enemies. If we truly want safe and peaceful cities, we should invest in stronger communities, better policing standards, and more trust between citizens and law enforcement - not troops and tanks."

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