A Long Island county leader and ally of former President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to recruit dozens of armed citizens to create an "emergency special deputy" force that can be mobilized whenever he needs it, such as during a blackout, hurricane or riot.
Bruce Blakeman, the Republican executive of Nassau County — once dubbed the safest county in America — put out a call in March for about 75 recruits with gun permits, and separately said he aimed to create "another layer of protection” for Long Islanders.
“I didn’t want to be in a situation where we had a major emergency and we needed help and people were not properly vetted or trained,” he said.
Blakeman's group of armed citizens, the first 25 of whom were said to be possibly ready by late May, raised questions such as: "Is that a militia?"
“Whose command will this militia be under? How much coordinating with the police will they do? How much training will they get? Will they be given other weapons when they are activated?” questioned a spokeswoman for the Nassau County Civil Liberties Union, according to WPIX.
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Blakeman said the force is not, in fact, a militia, and said they need to be armed during an emergency.
“How could you protect infrastructure if you’re not armed?” he said, according to The New York Times, adding, “What should we do? Hide under the covers?”
Blakeman — with recruits by his side — told protesters at a news conference that these people "will have firearms training, as well as the penal law — and "use of deadly force.” They would not, however, wear body cameras, and many would have previous police and military chops.
The members will receive $150 in tax money per day for each day they're activated.
Critics, including Nassau County legislator Delia DeRiggi-Whitton, have questioned the motives behind the force, with some implying it's a political stunt.
“It’s fear-mongering, and it’s very damaging to people,” DeRiggi-Whitton, the county's Democratic minority leader, told the Times.
Critics on social media openly questioned whether this construes a "Trump militia?"
"An 'emergency'. Do you see where this can lead?" asked @ReformedActuary on X.
"Nassau County exec, ex-hubby of Mrs. Paul McCartney, Bruce wacko Blakeman, avowed Republican and Trumpophile is creating a mini-militia," wrote @heyjudenyc. "Is it a precursor to Project 2025, a bit of a head start for the takeover?"
