Americans tend to forget that the Civil War didn’t start overnight. The Confederate South’s desire to nullify federal law sparked multiple crises before Abraham Lincoln’s election, and we’re seeing a similar movement crystalize among Democrats today.

The neo-Confederate opposition to immigration law seemed to reach a fever pitch Wednesday, when Minnesota Democrat Gov. Tim Walz threatened to deploy his state’s National Guard troops against federal agents—a direct military confrontation against the federal government.

When a reporter asked about the prospect of National Guard troops facing off against federal agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Walz gave a chilling response: “We’ve never been at war with our federal government.”

Walz repeatedly suggested that President Donald Trump was effectively at war with him, saying state military force would be necessary to confront “rogue” federal agents.

“We do not need any further help from the federal government,” the governor declared. “To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough. I’ve issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard. We have soldiers in training who are prepared to be deployed if necessary.”

Of course, Walz was far from alone in

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