Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, asked Bondi about the deployment of the National Guard in cities, posing questions about the politics of the moves for the GOP.
“I’m having a real struggle right now with the National Guard being deployed and masking the abject failure of leaders at the state and local level,” Tillis said, asking whether it’s a best practice that “I just don’t get yet.”
“Seeing what’s happening in Chicago, they need the National Guard,” Bondi replied. “Our ICE members need the National Guard to protect the national buildings — that’s why they’re being deployed.”
Tillis clarified that he was asking about the National Guard working with local law enforcement. Referring to local leaders, he said, “It would just seem to me that all of those bums should be thrown out in an election, and are we masking an underlying problem that will come back the minute we leave?”
“Almost the sense that they’ve become an arm of local law enforcement,” Tillis said. “I don’t consider that a best practice — it doesn’t sound like you do either.”
Bondi said, “I don’t believe our National Guard want to be doing that, but they’re going to be where they have to be to keep Americans safe.”
She cited her recent visit to Memphis: “Our Guard was there, and they were thrilled — they’re ready to help.”
Tillis added that he believes the president is “focused on making these dangerous cities safer,” but he added that “I see three and half years from now, if we don’t address the systemic problems, that what we’ve basically done is given a governor and mayor and city councilman a pass on failing to protect their people.”
“So, I just hope we strike the balance so that we’re not fixing a problem temporarily only to come back maybe even worse than the problem we’re fixing the moment this president who’s committed to local safety leaves,” he said.
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