Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) have called on the Biden administration to issue a directive restricting the use of U.S. military troops domestically, particularly under the potential authority of President-elect Donald Trump. In a letter sent on November 26, the senators urged President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to adopt a policy requiring that military forces can only be deployed domestically if requested by state or local authorities, or in cases where these authorities are unable or unwilling to protect the public.
Warren and Blumenthal raised concerns over Trump’s past remarks, including suggestions that the military could be used to deport immigrants or quell civil unrest. The senators warned that Trump’s possible misuse of the Insurrection Act—allowing military deployment in cases of insurrection or extreme civil unrest—could circumvent the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits military involvement in domestic law enforcement. They urged the Biden administration to establish clear guidelines to prevent military overreach, emphasizing the importance of congressional consultation before any such deployment.
Civil liberties groups also voiced alarm over the potential misuse of military power under Trump, highlighting the risks of an unchecked expansion of presidential authority. The senators’ letter underscores the need for clarity in the law to protect against possible abuses of military power in a second Trump term.
