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At least a dozen Republican governors, including those in states hundreds of miles from the border, have funneled troops onto state-backed missions to the border. Those missions range from minor deployments with only a handful of soldiers for a few weeks to sprawling deployments of entire units for a year. Some of those missions have come amid political campaigns.
South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem deployed 50 troops to the border backed by a $1 million donation from billionaire GOP megadonor Willis Johnson. The move sparked numerous questions on the ethics and legality of privately funding National Guard operations — and came as Noem was boosting her national profile.
Governors using Guardsmen as political tools has been a concern. The National Guard has frequently been caught in the middle between state politicians and federal officials.
“We can’t help what elected officials or other officials say,” Hokanson said. “All we can focus on is what we’re going to do to make sure we’re doing the right thing.”
Hokanson is set to retire August 1, though his successor has not been picked yet.