CAMP MURRAY, Wash. — In the lobby of the Washington National Guard headquarters, images of top government leaders stare down from the walls.

President Donald Trump looks stern in his official portrait. Below him, a smiling Gov. Bob Ferguson beams from his frame.

As the state’s Adjutant General and National Guard commander, Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh reports to both men. But these days, to put it mildly, his two bosses do not see eye to eye.

On a day-to-day basis, Welsh works for the governor, who appointed him and signs his paychecks. But at any moment, the president could pick up the phone — or post on Truth Social — ordering the Washington National Guard to Seattle, as he has in other cities like Los Angeles, Portland and Chicago.

The escalating deployments in U.S. cities, some of which ha

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