Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Gov. Spencer Cox supports President Donald Trump's National Guard deployment amid LA protests.
- Cox emphasizes Utah's strict stance on protest violence and property damage.
- He said Utah has not been asked by White House to deploy National Guard troops for immigration enforcement.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he's "sympathetic" with President Donald Trump's decision to call in National Guard troops to quell unrest in Los Angeles, calling property damage done during weekend protests "unconscionable."
The Trump administration has deployed National Guard troops and some 700 Marines based in Southern California to quiet demonstrations against immigration raids. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have opposed the escalation in force, and California sued to block the deployment, saying it violates the state's sovereignty.
Trump's actions are the first time a president has deployed National Guard troops in response to civil unrest without a governor's support since 1965, per NPR, marking an extraordinary step from the White House.
But Cox said he has "lots of concerns about what's happening in California," when asked about it during his monthly PBS Utah news conference on Tuesday, saying he thinks the law is on the Trump's side.
"I'm sympathetic to a president who wants to make sure that we're protecting lives and property and doing everything possible to make that happen," he said. "I do think it is legal for the president to do that. Whether it is wise or not, that's — when things get out of control, somebody has to stop it. And so I'm grateful we have a president who is willing to act to stop that."
Trump issued a presidential memorandum Saturday calling for National Guard units to "temporarily protect (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and other United States government personnel who are performing federal functions" and "to protect federal property" near protest sites.
Cox said the U.S. Constitution "clearly states" that the president can call up National Guard troops, though as a "state's rights person," the governor said he does not "love that."
"They probably do need it," he said of the National Guard response, saying he has seen videos of cars burning and calling the property damage "unconscionable."
He went on to say he supports the right to protest but warned that Utah will crack down on any violence or property damage.
"I want Utah to be the best place in the United States to protest," Cox said. "I also want Utah to be the worst possible place to riot. The minute you start to spray paint the Capitol, the second you start to implement violence or property damage: We will arrest you and hold you accountable."
Cox said he hasn't received a request from the White House to deploy Utah's National Guard troops to help with immigration enforcement in other states, but there are "ongoing" conversations about using troops to help with "transportation and logistics around just processing those immigrants who are here illegally."
Asked if he would support sending National Guard troops to help with immigration enforcement in other states, Cox said: "We would have to look at the situation and consider what's happening in those other states and if that's a good use of our resources."
