Rep. Mark Alford, R-Mo., appears to be at odds with President Donald Trump when it comes to deploying the National Guard in certain situations.
During a town hall meeting in his district on Monday, Alford expressed that he believes the federal government should only send troops to cities, apart from Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, if governors specifically request their presence.
His statement surfaced amidst an intense exchange in Harrisonville, where the audience was caught up in loud debates among themselves and with Alford, making it challenging for him to respond to questions without interruption.
While Alford approved of Trump deploying the National Guard to Washington and Los Angeles earlier in the year in reaction to protests against immigration policies, he suggested there’s a boundary he’s uneasy about crossing.
“But I do not think that we should be sending National Guard into other cities unless the governor, unless the governor [asks],” he said.
Trump is escalating his threats to send National Guard troops to additional cities. On Sunday, Trump mentioned he is contemplating sending forces to “clean up” Baltimore and has hinted at doing the same to “straighten up” Chicago.
Democratic leaders from Illinois and Maryland have criticized Trump for his remarks. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson countered Trump on Monday, declaring that troops are unnecessary in Chicago and criticizing Trump’s threats as a form of political intimidation.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore and Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott also reacted against Trump’s threats. Moore stated he “would not be open” to deploying guard members in Baltimore and emphasized that as governor, he would not approve such an action.
A spokesperson for Alford did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night about his stance on Trump’s threats to send the guard to Chicago and Baltimore.
Alford was first elected in 2022 and won re-election last year with more than 71% of the vote. Trump endorsed him on social media last week.
