(HARTFORD—WTIC News) Top Connecticut officials are speaking in support of California’s lawsuit against the White House, which challenges President Trump’s mobilization of military troops to face off with protestors in Los Angeles.
At a Tuesday news conference at the attorney general’s office, Governor Ned Lamont and Attorney General William Tong, both Democrats, also expressed confidence that Connecticut law enforcement can handle any potential problems related to protests, including No Kings demonstrations scheduled for Saturday, which they expect to be peaceful.
While downplaying the chance of a federal intervention here, the governor suggested that any effort by Trump to federalize Connecticut’s National Guard might also be met with legal action.
“All I can do as a governor is make sure that we do our job,” says Lamont. “That is keep the peace, don’t give him any pretext to do it. You say, ‘What happens, he doesn’t care and he comes in anyway?’ Then, you’re going to have the courts and the legal system stand up. But, I’m going to make sure that we keep the peace here in Connecticut.”
Attorney General William Tong says he’s been assured by his counterpart in California, Rob Bonta, that state authorities had protests under control in Los Angeles before Trump stepped in. He says rather than deterring violence, Trump is inviting it.
“The president has packed a powder keg in Los Angeles,” says Tong, “and there’s an extreme risk of a broader explosion of violence and harm to the people of Los Angeles and California. He has created an unreasonable risk to public safety.”
Tong agrees with the California lawsuit, which argues Trump’s mobilization is both needless and illegal. He says the U.S. military is only legally allowed to act in a domestic law enforcement capacity in a few, rare situations:
“If there’s an invasion—there is no invasion in Los Angeles. Or, a rebellion—there is no rebellion in Los Angeles. That’s the basis of the lawsuit. It also requires the consent and cooperation of the governor of California, and he does not give it.”
While Trump on Tuesday discouraged all levels of protest against his administration, saying protests against his military parade in Washington, DC this weekend will be “met with heavy force," Lamont and Tong say peaceful protest is welcomed in Connecticut.
Tong also agreed with Lamont, saying Connecticut is ready for a legal fight should Trump attempt to mobilize the military here:
“If something happens that is unlawful and unwarranted, we will act immediately. Make no mistake about that. We’re ready.”
State House Minority Leader Vin Candelora (R) responded to the Democrats’ news conference with a statement:
"At this point, the lobby of the Attorney General’s office might as well be a theater stage. And today, it was a familiar script—Connecticut Democrats, led by General Tong, spent their time attacking the President for protecting Americans in an out-of-control situation in California, instead of condemning violent assaults on law enforcement or the illegal highway takeovers disrupting everyday life for law-abiding citizens.”