Libertarian Party of Wisconsin Pushes Back Against Vance on Guard Deployment

The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin issued a statement opposing Vice President J.D. Vance’s suggestion that the National Guard could be deployed to Milwaukee, calling the proposal a threat to state sovereignty and constitutional limits on federal power.

In a statement Friday, August 29, the party reasserted its opposition to the federal government’s use of state National Guard units for domestic law enforcement purposes. Reese Wood, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Wisconsin, said Milwaukee’s challenges should be addressed “with local solutions and community leadership, not with federal militarization.”

The statement follows remarks made by Vance on August 28 in Milwaukee, where he advocated for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. While taking questions, Vance referenced Milwaukee’s “crime problems,” suggesting the National Guard could be deployed to assist, though he noted it was unlikely President Trump would send the Guard without first being asked, which he urged the city to consider.

“Sending our National Guard into cities at the whim of federal politicians undermines both liberty and the sovereignty of the states,” Wood continued. “The Guard exists to defend Wisconsin, not to be used as a standing army for federal objectives.”

The party restated its support for Defend the Guard legislation, which would bar deployment of Wisconsin’s Guard units into combat or policing roles without a formal declaration of war by Congress. It joins Libertarian Party affiliates in North Carolina and West Virginia in recently speaking out against the militarization of Guard units for domestic purposes.

“Wisconsin communities deserve peace, accountability, and respect for constitutional limits, not further militarization of our streets,” the statement reads. “The federal government should not have the authority to bypass state leadership or the will of the people in determining when and how our National Guard is deployed.”

The Libertarian Party of Wisconsin urged lawmakers from both parties to advance the legislation in the next session and protect Wisconsin service members from what it described as “unconstitutional wars and political deployment.”