Kansas governor, 18 others oppose Trump’s ‘chaotic’ plans for state National Guard

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, seen here at May 2, 2025, joined her Democratic Governors Association colleagues in condemning President Donald Trump's claims he can deploy state national guards. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)

TOPEKA — Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly and more than a dozen other Democratic governors cautioned President Donald Trump against deploying states’ National Guard.

Kelly, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, and Democratic governors across the country issued a statement Thursday criticizing Trump’s policy decisions, saying Americans deserve to feel safe.

“But instead of actually addressing crime, President Trump cut federal funding for law enforcement that states rely on and continues to politicize our military by trying to undermine the executive authority of Governors as Commanders in Chief of their state’s National Guard,” the 19 governors wrote in a joint statement.

The president deployed Washington D.C.’s National Guard earlier this month, which is within his authority, and he has expressed interest in deploying state National Guards to Chicago, New York City, Baltimore and Oakland. Earlier this year, he mobilized California’s National Guard to confront demonstrators in Los Angeles who were protesting the administration’s immigration raids.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has been vocal in his opposition to Trump’s threats.  

“Unlike Donald Trump, we keep our promises,” Pritzker wrote in a Wednesday social media post. “We will not stand idly by if he decides to send the National Guard to intimidate Chicagoans. Action will be met with a response.”

All but four Democratic governors signed on to the statement. Those who did called Trump’s actions “chaotic federal interference.”

“Whether it’s Illinois, Maryland and New York or another state tomorrow,” the governors said, “the President’s threats and efforts to deploy a state’s National Guard without the request and consent of that state’s governor is an alarming abuse of power, ineffective, and undermines the mission of our service members.”