Democratic governors in California and Illinois are threatening to withdraw from the National Governors Association over their silence. President Donald Trump’s deployment It sent National Guard troops across state lines despite opposition from host country leaders.
“What purpose does the National Governors Association serve if it cannot unite in a bipartisan manner around this fundamental principle of national sovereignty?” California Governor Gavin Newsom he asked in a letter to other governors across the country.
Founded in 1908, the bipartisan Governors Group hosts conferences where governors advocate and exchange ideas on issues on which they find common ground. Separate Democratic and Republican governors associations have taken more partisan positions and provided campaign funding.
with newsome Illinois Governor JB Pritzkerboth potential 2028 presidential candidates, argue that President Trump’s deployment of the military should be a concern for all governors. But some Republican governors support Trump’s actions, and the national governors group has not taken a position.
“I don’t know if the NGA wants to address the policy question of whether the Constitution allows for federal involvement in states and the National Guard,” said Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican who co-chairs the group’s emergency management and public health task force.
Democratic governors in Kansas, Michigan, and Minnesota have already left the NGA this year. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly encouraged the group to oppose the canceled federal grant, saying she didn’t think the nearly $100,000 annual fee paid by the state was a good investment.
Some Democrats see the Guard’s actions as diminishing the state’s role.
The bipartisan governors organization is not the first to face divisions and questions about how to respond to the sweeping changes of President Trump’s second term. Since returning to office, Trump has exercised executive power in a way that a typical president does not.
This week he I tried to introduce The Texas National Guard is in Chicago and the California National Guard is in Portland, Oregon, to protect federal immigration facilities and workers amid what President Trump has described as an out-of-control crime. Democratic officials in those states are suing over the effort, as is California. Until now, judges Prevented expansion in Oregon But it hasn’t stopped in Illinois yet.
Mr. Newsom and Mr. Pritzker argued that deploying the National Guard was not just a difference in policy, but a violation of national sovereignty and should be condemned.
“The credibility of the National Governors Association and our integrity as state administrators depends on our willingness to consistently apply our principles no matter which administration attacks them,” Pritzker said in a letter Monday to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, president of the National Governors Association.
Stitt did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press on Tuesday. But he said at a news conference last month that the group should avoid areas of disagreement and leave it to the Democratic Governors Association and Republican Governors Association.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican who approved the call-up of 400 members of the Texas National Guard, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. On Monday, he posted a cartoon on his X account showing the Democratic governors of California, Illinois and New York telling President Trump to “leave our crimes alone.”
Bipartisan groups are not always involved
The National Governors Association bills itself as a beacon of bipartisanship, which means it stays out of many of the thorniest battles. Topics on which the governors found common ground include disaster preparedness, workforce development, and expanding broadband access.
Last week, Stitt and NGA Vice Chairman Wes Moore, a Democratic Maryland governor and possible 2028 presidential candidate, denounced the then-impending federal government shutdown and called for dialogue, but did not call for specific policy solutions. “We call on federal leaders on both sides of the aisle to put aside political gamesmanship and work to pass a budget that reflects the values and commitments that each state makes every day.”
However, there is no unity regarding President Trump’s immigration and anti-crime policies.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, said in a statement that he opposes the mobilization but does not intend to abandon his organization against it. “My hope is that NGA will continue to advocate for the state’s best interests,” he said.
Kehoe said no one was asked to sign a statement condemning President Trump’s sending of the National Guard to states against the wishes of governors. Earlier this year, Mr. Kehoe successfully pushed for state reform of the St. Louis Police Oversight Commission despite opposition from Democratic mayors who said it would legitimize crime.
“Certainly Chicago may need some help,” Kehoe said. “We hope that Governor Pritzker will welcome this assistance to keep our people safe.”
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Associated Press writers John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Susan Hay of Hartford, Conn.; and Trân Nguyễn in Sacramento, California, contributed to this report.
