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 have been temporarily blocked by federal judges, have thrust the Guard into an uncomfortable national spotlight.

We've always been the good guys," Welsh said in an interview with The Seattle Times. He pointed to the Guard's usual domestic missions: in recent years they've cleaned up after blizzards and floods, fought wildfires, staffed food banks and helped administer COVID-19 vaccinations.

But now, the National Guard is viewed as a potential unwanted invading force by leaders in Seattle, where Mayor Bruce Harrell signed an executive order last week laying out plans "to respond to unilateral deployment" of the Guard "or other federal military troops." Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes has vowed he "will not be quiet" if the Guard is sent in, and said he's been in touch with Welsh, who has promised he'll be his "first call" if Trump federalizes the state's Guard.

Welsh agreed to an interview to explain the guard's role and community questions that he worries may be getting overshadowed as controversial Guard deployments dominate the national discussion.

He had to get permission from Ferguson's office, and was restricted from discussing plans for a potential Trump-ordered deployment. Several times during the hourlong interview, he glanced at a spokesperson who nodded or shook her head to signal whether he could answer certain questions. For example, he said he could not talk about whether he'd had communications from federal officials about possible deployments to Seattle or Portland, or other cities.

Still, Welsh was clear he isn't cheerleading a federal deployment in Seattle.

"I am not leaning into any of that stuff. I have plenty of other work to do right now, plenty of other work to get ready for a million other things," Welsh said. "It is what it is, until the phone rings."

Welsh, 55, grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and graduated from Eastern Washington University. He's a two-star general with more than 36 years of military experience, mostly at Camp Murray, the Guard's state headquarters in Pierce County. He was appointed adjutant general by then-Gov. Jay Inslee in June 2024. Ferguson reappointed him this year.

He commands the Washington National Guard, including about 8,000 soldiers and airmen at 34 locations statewide. Roughly 2,000 are full-time — mostly working without pay amid a federal government shutdown. Welsh designated those employees "essential," keeping them on duty with the expectation they'll get back pay when government funding is restored.

The rest are the part-time Guard members who have other jobs for most of the year, but are required to drill regularly and can be called up for state or federal missions. Those drills have been cut back this year as the Trump administration diverted about $3 million from training funds to pay for other priorities, including the National Guard deployment in Washington D.C.

Unlike active-duty military, who can get assigned to bases anywhere around the country or world, Guard members typically live and serve in their home states.

"These are folks that are your neighbors. They're your friends. They went to school with you. They work with you," he said.

Washington National Guard troops do sometimes respond to disturbances in cities, but that's normally with the blessing of the governor and mayors. Even then, Welsh said such deployments are some of their most difficult.

"These are not the missions that you see on the recruiting posters," he said. "And that is not lost on anybody here, that then you're putting a person in the position of doing that against their neighbor ... they're tough things to ask."

In 2020, Inslee called up Guard units to back police in Seattle and Spokane amid massive demonstrations over the murder of George Floyd. The following year, Inslee activated Guard troops ahead of the 2021 legislative session after pro-Trump demonstrators attacked the U.S. Capitol and broke into the governor's mansion in Olympia.

By contrast, Trump's Guard deployments this year have focused on Democratic-led cities, mostly against the wishes of governors and mayors.

In doing so, Trump has invoked a federal law saying the president can federalize the National Guard of "any state" if there is "a rebellion or danger of a rebellion" against the United States, or if the president "is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States."

"It's a very unique law... I didn't even know this thing existed until really this last year," Welsh said.

Trump has not yet ordered a deployment to Seattle. But he has, at times, lumped the city in with other Democratic-led cities, calling it "lunatic led."

If a lawful order comes from the president, Welsh said he'd be bound to follow it. He noted the National Guard oath, which binds Guard members to "obey the orders of the President of the United States and the Governor of the State."

In case there are any questions, he has attorneys on staff that he can rely on.

People are beginning to understand, Welsh said, that something can be legal but still feel wrong."You may disagree with it. You may not like it. But those are orders," he said.

It's unclear whether a federal military deployment order in Seattle would involve Washington National Guard units or those from other states.

In Portland, Trump initially ordered the federalization of 200 Guard troops from Oregon, and then tried to send in Guard troops from California. A federal judge temporarily blocked both deployments, ruling the administration's characterization of the city as a war ravaged hellscape was "untethered to the facts. However, an appeals court panel appeared more sympathetic to the administration's arguments and could reverse that decision as early as this week.

At the end of the Seattle Times interview, when asked if he had a personal opinion on Trump’s National Guard deployments, Welsh smiled and pointed to a coyote trap on display under a glass tabletop.

“That’s called a trap, and it’s got two jaws,” he said, mimicking how the snare would snap down on the legs of unsuspecting prey.

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