No good deed goes unpunished
The wry adage applies to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s recently announced opposition to President Trump’s deployment of state National Guard troops into other states that don’t want them or – in the judgment of their governors – need them.
“Oklahomans,” Stitt told the New York Times, “would lose their mind if [Democratic Gov. JB] Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration.”
Stitt is right. But that matters little to those coveting the 2026 Republican gubernatorial nomination.
The day after the Times’ story broke, Attorney General Gentner Drummond – leading in the early governor’s race polls – announced he’d joined 19 GOP attorneys general in a federal court brief backing Trump’s deployment of California National Guard troops to Portland.
Drummond also rebuked Stitt, saying, “This is not the time to assail the sensible and constitutional deployment of the National Guard to ensure the safety of immigration officials. Gov. Stitt’s carping to The New York Times was wholly inappropriate, if not surprising.”
Not long after, ex-state Sen. Mike Mazzei, a former Stitt cabinet member, added his criticism, declaring the governor “betrayed President Trump to cozy up with the open-border Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker.
“I’m calling on Stitt to rescind the comments he made as governor of Oklahoma. His remarks blatantly undermine the will of Oklahoma voters. When public safety and national security are at stake, anything less than a full reversal and an apology is unacceptable.”
Sadly, Drummond’s and Mazzei’s overheated rhetoric are the rule, not the exception these days. Both clearly believe the path to the Republican gubernatorial nomination requires total allegiance to Trump.
The President undoubtedly remains popular in Oklahoma, particularly among the hard-right Make America Great Again crowd that dominates low-turnout Republican primaries. But the strategy also suggests the candidates think their voters are too dense to comprehend the traditional American principles at work in the troop-deployment debate.
To his credit, Stitt seems to get it: “We believe in the federalist system – that’s states’ rights.” Federalism is indeed a founding American principle – one the MAGA crowd vociferously defended when Democrat Joe Biden was president. For his part, Stitt joined other governors in a legal fight against Biden’s vaccination and masking mandates during Covid.
“I was surprised that Gov. [Greg] Abbott sent troops from Texas to Illinois,” Stitt told the Times. “Abbott and I sued the Biden administration when the shoe was on the other foot, and the Biden administration was trying to force us to vaccinate all of our soldiers and force masks across the country.
“As a federalist believer, one governor against another governor, I don’t think that’s the right way to approach this.”
Those lashing out at Stitt’s comments ignore recent history in their quest for political advantage. Stitt frequently backed Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to help with border security, even serving as a willing photo-op prop for Trump at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Moreover, Stitt’s comments were nuanced: He opposes sending troops to states where they’re not welcomed by governors, but supports the president federalizing Illinois National Guard troops to protect federal immigration agents in Chicago.
Of course, Stitt won’t be facing the voters next year since he’s term-limited. But that doesn’t mean sticking his head out of the foxhole was without risk. The governor clearly has political ambition. U.S. Senate in 2028? Maybe even a presidential delusion of grandeur?
The break with Trump is his first big splash as new chair of the National Governor’s Association. It also may be the first time many outside Oklahoma have heard of Stitt. How that plays into his political future remains to be seen.
Understanding Political Messaging
Public narratives are often shaped using persuasion techniques that influence perception without relying on clear evidence. Recognizing these patterns helps readers separate fact from manipulation.
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