Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came under fire after mistakenly referencing a non-existent “Article 10” of the U.S. Constitution while criticizing President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles amid ongoing riots. She claimed the president needed gubernatorial consent to activate the Guard, citing “section 12046 of Article 10.” However, the Constitution has only seven articles. Experts clarified she likely meant Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which permits the president to federalize the Guard without a governor’s consent—a power upheld by the Supreme Court and used by past presidents like Lyndon B. Johnson. Critics also pointed out Pelosi’s flawed claim that Trump refused to send the National Guard on Jan. 6, 2021. Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund countered, stating that he was legally restricted from requesting federal support without approval from Pelosi’s appointees on the Capitol Police Board.
In response to Trump’s L.A. deployment, recent polling by RMG Research revealed that 52% of voters approve of his decision to send troops to control the riots, while 42% disapprove, and 7% remain undecided. The unrest began following ICE operations targeting convicted illegal immigrants and led to over 100 arrests. Additionally, 57% of surveyed voters expressed approval of ICE’s actions, with 35% disapproving. Despite Pelosi’s constitutional misstep and inaccurate Jan. 6 narrative, public opinion appears to support Trump’s handling of the recent crisis in Los Angeles.
