# Is the President calling out the National Guard constitutional?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-president-calling-out-the-national-guard-constitutional/1019369>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [June 9, 2025, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-president-calling-out-the-national-guard-constitutional/1019369 "2025-06-09T14:35:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2025, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-president-calling-out-the-national-guard-constitutional/1019369/2 "2025-06-09T14:39:59Z")

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From this thread:

> [@Trump now wants to use military force to take California](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-california/1019341/3):
>
> The President does, in fact, have the authority to call up the National Guard and other state militia per [10 U.S. Code § 252 - Use of militia and armed forces to enforce Federal authority](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/252) and [10 U.S. Code § 253 - Interference with State and Federal law](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/253). The governor of the pertinent state ostensibly still has control over these forces; however per [10 U.S. Code § 254 - Proclamation to disperse](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/254):
> 
> > _Whenever the President considers it necessary to use the militia or the armed forces under this chapter, he shall, by proclamation, immediately order the insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their abodes within a limited time._
> 
> This would seem to imply that these forces could be used to enforce this proclamation.

Stranger

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