Carr defended Trump against accusations of overstepping his authority as Trump deployed federal forces in American cities and ordered attacks on suspected “narco-terrorists” in the Caribbean.
In 2025, Carr praised Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard against protesters in California, and criticized other state’s governors that resisted Trump’s “crack down on crime.” Carr even argued that Trump had the legal authority to do so under the Militia Act of 1908 and the Insurrection Act. However, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Trump did not have the authority to deploy National Guard troops in Chicago in December 2025. Despite this ruling, Trump suggested he would “not hesitate to deploy troops in the future.” The Trump administration faced repeated legal challenges for overstepping its authority in deploying federal forces without the consent of governors and mayors across several American cities. In January 2026, Minnesota and Illinois sued the Trump administration over its deployment of federal agents to the Twin Cities and Chicago for immigration operations, arguing the unprecedented deployment of federal officers was a “federal invasion” and unconstitutional violation of the Tenth Amendment.
Carr also defended Trump’s authority to attack suspected “drug boats” without cause, but argued that, if Trump did not already have the legal authority, Congress should just give it to him.
June 2025: Carr Praised Trump For Deploying The National Guard In California Against Protesters, Saying It “Was The Right Response, And One We Fully Support.” According to Atlanta News First, “‘Over the weekend, violent agitators rioted in the streets of California under the false banner of protest,’ Carr said. ‘President Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard was the right response, and one we fully support. ‘We will always defend the right to peacefully protest, but there’s nothing peaceful about arson, assault and anarchy,’ Carr said. ‘If you set police cars on fire, throw Molotov cocktails at law enforcement, and loot businesses, you must be held accountable.’” [Atlanta News First, 6/11/25]
October 2025: Carr Supported Kemp’s Decision To Send Georgia National Guard Troops “To Washington To Support Trump’s Federal Intervention.” According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “Carr backed Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to deploy more than 300 Georgia National Guard troops to Washington to support Trump’s federal intervention. But he doesn’t think Georgia needs a similar show of force at home, crediting bipartisan public safety cooperation in Atlanta. He also said the courts — not the president — should decide whether Trump has the authority to send troops into states that push back. ‘That’s why you have the court system,’ he said. ‘If it’s not legal, the court system will make that determination.’” [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/7/25]
October 2025: Carr Supported Trump Deploying The National Guard In Cities To “Crack Down On Crime,” And Asked, “Why In The World Are These Mayors And Governors Fighting It.” According to Carr on The Austin Rhodes Show, “Well, first of all, the federal government has one role. It's the defense of the nation. And immigration is part of that. We've actually filed several amicus briefs, and I think we've found another one today with some of our other colleagues to say that that, you know, you've got immigration, you've got the National Guard, you've got a lot of different issues that are dealing with public safety. The president absolutely has the authority to make sure that he is enforcing the laws of the country, of the United States. […] And I think that the president turning and providing support to crack down on crime is absolutely appropriate, which is why we filed the friend of the court briefs there as well. Look at the folks in Washington, D.C. felt safer. Shootings down, crimes have gone down. The thing to me, though, is Austin, why in the world are these mayors and governors fighting it.” [Chris Carr – The Austin Rhodes Show, 10/8/25] (AUDIO)
June 2025: Carr Argued Trump Had The Authority To Deploy The National Guard In California Under The Militia Act Of 1908 And The Insurrection Act. According to Carr on The Morning Xtra, “And I know that Newsom and Bonta, the attorney general, are going to be in court in San Francisco today talking about whether Trump's got the authority to do it. We've looked at it, and they're using the Militia Act of 1908. I think if you also look at the Insurrection Act, the president has the authority and the when there are groups gathering and you're blocking interstates, and why Newsom wouldn't have just accepted the president's assistance on the violence, and then he could encourage and defend and support the protests themselves, the peaceful protests, but I don't understand it because that's what governments supposed to do is keep people safe.” [Chris Carr Interview – The Morning Xtra, 6/12/25] (AUDIO)
December 2025: The U.S. Supreme Court Ruled Trump Did Not Have The Authority To Send National Guard Troops To Chicago For Domestic Law Enforcement, Prompting Trump To Withdraw National Guard Troops From Several U.S. Cities. According to BBC, “US President Donald Trump has said he is withdrawing National Guard troops from several US cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles, after a Supreme Court ruling last week undermined his authority to use troops for policing. ‘We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social on New Year's Eve. Earlier on Tuesday, the Trump administration withdrew its legal attempts to keep control of troops deployed in LA. Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump could not use troops in Chicago for domestic law enforcement. […] The Supreme Court ruled last week in Trump v Illinois that the president did not have the authority to send troops into Chicago.” [BBC, 12/31/25]
In Announcing His Withdrawal Of National Guard Troops In Several Cities After The U.S. Supreme Court Ruled He Could Not Deploy Troops Into Chicago Over Illinois Officials’ Objections, Trump “Suggested His Administration Would Not Hesitate To Deploy Troops In The Future.” According to the New York Times, “President Trump said on Wednesday that he would abandon, for now, efforts to deploy the National Guard in Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore. The decision comes after the Supreme Court ruled last week that Mr. Trump could not deploy troops in the Chicago area over the objections of Illinois officials. The president’s announcement made no mention of the ruling, but he suggested his administration would not hesitate to deploy troops in the future. ‘We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again — Only a question of time,’ he wrote on Truth Social.” [New York Times, 12/31/25]
2025: The Trump Administration Faced Several Legal Challenges Over His Authority To Deploy National Guard Troops After He Deployed Federal Forces To Democratic-Run Cities, Which Critics Claimed Was An “Authoritarian” Overreach. According to BBC, “Trump's decision to order the deployment of National Guard troops to Democratic-run cities set off a series of legal cases challenging his authority to do so. The troops are normally under the authority of state governors. […] Trump has said the troops are needed to enforce the law and crack down on crime and illegal immigration. Critics deny that the troops are necessary, and accuse Trump of attempting an ‘authoritarian’ crackdown, which threatens democracy.” [BBC, 12/31/25]
January 2026: Minnesota And Illinois Sued The Trump Administration Over The Deployment Of Federal Forces, Arguing They Were Violating The Tenth Amendment, Which Protected State Sovereignty. According to Politico, “The state of Minnesota and the municipal governments of Minneapolis and St. Paul filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to block the Department of Homeland Security from executing a planned surge of federal immigration officers to the Twin Cities. […] Earlier on Monday, Illinois officials filed a similar lawsuit seeking to block the Trump administration from conducting immigration enforcement in the state. Immigration agents have been conducting large-scale enforcement actions in Chicago for months. Both lawsuits argued the Trump administration is violating the Tenth Amendment, which protects the sovereignty of states. In a statement, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin criticized the legal argument used by both states.” [Politico, 1/12/26]
January 2026: The State Of Minnesota And The Twin Cities Sued The Trump Administration, Alleging An “Unprecedented Federal Immigration Operation In The State Is ‘A Federal Invasion.’” According to CNN, “The state of Minnesota and the Twin Cities are suing the Trump administration, arguing the unprecedented federal immigration operation in the state is ‘a federal invasion,’ and seeking a court order halting the crackdown, according to a lawsuit filed Monday.” [CNN, 1/12/26]
January 2026: The State Of Illinois And The City Of Chicago Sued The Trump Administration, Claiming The Department Of Homeland Security “Terrorized Residents In ‘Organized Bombardment.’” According to CNN, “The suit was filed shortly after Illinois and the city of Chicago also sued the Trump administration, alleging the Department of Homeland Security has terrorized residents in ‘organized bombardment.’ Both suits argue the federal government is violating the Tenth Amendment.” [CNN, 1/12/26]
November 2025: Carr Said He Believed Trump Had The Authority To Attack Suspected “Drug Boats” Without Cause And, Even If Trump Did Not Have The Executive Authority, That Congress Should Give Him That Ability. According to Carr on The Ben Burnett Show, “And the question has been, does the President of the United States have the ability to protect Americans by attacking those drug boats? And I believe he does. People said, oh, they don't have uniforms. It's not a declared war. Just because they don't wear uniform or detonate a bomb, they're detonating the equivalent of a bomb that has killed more people than were killed in Vietnam and Korea every year. And how do we look those parents in the eyes and say we're going to declare war on fentanyl? We see it coming across the border. And I'll give the president credit. What he has done to shut down the border is unbelievable. Absolutely remarkable. Human trafficking, gangs, fentanyl. Big issues that we have to deal with in state. And the left, it always drove them crazy when we'd say every state is a border state when you don't, right? But it is absolutely. But it is. And fentanyl, half the people that are dying from drug overdoses are under the age of 45. The other half are over because they're getting pills and they're having a surgery, whatever. But I believe the president does have the authority to protect Americans who are dying every day due to drug overdoses, and these drug dealers, cartels, organized crime folks know that. But if he doesn't, as a lawyer and rule of law guy, Congress should give this president or any president the ability to go after those that are intentionally killing Americans.” [Chris Carr – The Ben Burnett Show, 11/3/25] (VIDEO)