MARITIME APPROACHES. AND TONIGHT, ONE OF THE LEADING VOICES FOR DEMOCRATS IS IN SACRAMENTO. AND HE HAS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP IS TALKING ABOUT SENDING NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS TO SAN FRANCISCO TO FIGHT CRIME. FORMER TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY PETE BUTTIGIEG WAS THE FEATURED GUEST FOR THE SACRAMENTO SPEAKER SERIES TONIGHT IN KCRA 3’S. EDIE LAMBERT SERVED AS THE MODERATOR. BUTTIGIEG IS A FORMER NAVY RESERVIST WHO WAS DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN AND BEFORE TONIGHT’S EVENT, A STUDENT ASKED HIM ABOUT THE POTENTIAL NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT. SO SOMEBODY WHO’S IN THE MILITARY AND WHO KNOWS WHAT GOES INTO DEPLOYMENT, INCLUDING THE GEAR YOU WERE ISSUED, THE TIME AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILY, THE PAY, THE FOOD, THE COST OF DEPLOYING BEFORE YOU EVEN GET INTO THE CONSTITUTIONALITY OF IT, WHICH IS A HUGE PROBLEM. THE COST OF DEPLOYING A GUARDSMAN, LIKE AN ACTIVE DUTY GUARDSMAN, LIKE ACTIVATED, COULD PROBABLY PAY FOR 2 OR 3. POLICE OFFICERS AND OR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS WHO COULD CONTRIBUTE TO KEEPING A COMMUNITY SAFE. SO THIS IS IF THIS WAS ABOUT SAFETY, THEY’D BE FUNDING STUFF LIKE THAT. BUT THIS IS NOT ABOUT SAFETY. THIS IS ABOUT POWER. AND THIS IS A PRESIDENT WANTING TO SEND A MESSAGE. BUTTIGIEG SHARED THAT HE RECENTLY SPOKE TO SAN FRANCISCO’S MAYOR ABOUT EFFORTS TO COMBAT CRIME. HE SAYS THE STEPS THEY’RE TAKING HAS THE CITY ON TRACK TO HAVE ITS LOWEST MURDER RATE SINCE THE 1950S. THE SACRAMENTO SPEAKER SERIES IS HOSTED BY THE SACRAMENTO METRO CHAMBER. KCRA 3 IS A SPONSOR, AUTHOR AND PHILANTHROPI
Pete Buttigieg discusses National Guard deployment at Sacramento Speakers Series
Updated: 10:29 PM PDT Oct 22, 2025
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg addressed the potential deployment of National Guard troops to San Francisco during his appearance at the Sacramento Speakers Series in Sacramento on Wednesday. Buttigieg, a former Navy reservist who was deployed to Afghanistan, responded to a student’s question about President Donald Trump’s proposal to send troops to combat crime in the city.”As somebody who is in the military and who knows what goes into a deployment, including the gear you are issued, the time away from your family, the pay, the food, the cost, before you even get into the constitutionality of it, which is a huge problem. The cost of deploying a guardsman, like an active duty guardsman, could probably pay for two or three police officers and or mental health professionals who could contribute to keeping a community safe,” Buttigieg said. “If this was about safety, they’d be funding stuff like that. But this is not about safety; this is about power. And this is a president wanting to send a message.”He shared that he recently spoke to San Francisco’s mayor about efforts to combat crime, saying the steps they’re taking have the city on track to have its lowest murder rate since the 1950s. The Sacramento Speakers Series is hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber, with KCRA 3 as a sponsor. Author and philanthropist Mitch Albom is the next guest on November 12.See more upcoming events in the series here. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg addressed the potential deployment of National Guard troops to San Francisco during his appearance at the Sacramento Speakers Series in Sacramento on Wednesday.
Buttigieg, a former Navy reservist who was deployed to Afghanistan, responded to a student’s question about President Donald Trump’s proposal to send troops to combat crime in the city.
“As somebody who is in the military and who knows what goes into a deployment, including the gear you are issued, the time away from your family, the pay, the food, the cost, before you even get into the constitutionality of it, which is a huge problem. The cost of deploying a guardsman, like an active duty guardsman, could probably pay for two or three police officers and or mental health professionals who could contribute to keeping a community safe,” Buttigieg said. “If this was about safety, they’d be funding stuff like that. But this is not about safety; this is about power. And this is a president wanting to send a message.”
He shared that he recently spoke to San Francisco’s mayor about efforts to combat crime, saying the steps they’re taking have the city on track to have its lowest murder rate since the 1950s.
The Sacramento Speakers Series is hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber, with KCRA 3 as a sponsor. Author and philanthropist Mitch Albom is the next guest on November 12.
See more upcoming events in the series here.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel