Tim Sheehy Supports Bill to Stop National Guard from Fighting Abroad

Tim Sheehy, a Republican candidate for the Montana Senate and former Navy SEAL, has publicly endorsed the "Defend the Guard" movement, which seeks to restrict the deployment of National Guard units to foreign conflicts unless Congress formally declares war. Sheehy expressed his full support for the Defend the Guard Act, emphasizing that the legislation aims to prevent the Department of Defense from treating National Guard units as extensions of the federal military, which he argues is unconstitutional. In his rationale for supporting the movement, Sheehy pointed out that the U.S. Constitution only mandates a Navy and criticized the extensive military industrial complex that developed during the Cold War. He asserted that American troops should only be sent overseas for specific counterterrorism operations, noting that the last formal declaration of war by Congress occurred during World War II. Activists from the Montana Libertarian Party have also urged former President Donald Trump to endorse the Defend the Guard Act, suggesting that such a move would resonate with both libertarian and Republican voters. The letter to Trump highlighted the importance of using the National Guard for its intended constitutional purposes, such as border security, rather than engaging in prolonged foreign conflicts. The Montana Republican Party has become the sixth state GOP to adopt language supporting the Defend the Guard movement, with notable endorsements from figures like Ron Paul and Joe Kent. Recent discussions between libertarian leaders and Sheehy, as well as Trump, have focused on aligning foreign policy with the principles of the Defend the Guard initiative.