Tag: national guard

Missouri governor activates National Guard, declares state of emergency

Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) on Thursday declared a state of emergency and activated the state’s National Guard in anticipation of protests across the state — and in response to “civil unrest” across the country.

Missouri Executive Order 25-25 declares a State of Emergency and allows the Adjutant General to order service members to aid state officials.

The order comes after the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri National Guard and Missouri Department of Public Safety established a Unified Command to monitor situations across the state and prepare local law enforcement.

Additionally, the order also declares that the Adjutant General may employ necessary equipment to support authorities and provide assistance.

While nationwide protests continue to flare up in response to the Trump administration’s immigration policies, Kehoe said his order is purely precautionary.

“We respect, and will defend, the right to peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence or lawlessness in our state,” the governor said.

“While other states may wait for chaos to ensue, the State of Missouri is taking a proactive approach in the event that assistance is needed to support local law enforcement in protecting our citizens and communities,” he added.

To read Kehoe’s full order, click here.

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‘Furious’ Pelosi Drops F-Bomb in Response to Trump Deploying National Guard to Los Angeles: Report

Speaker Emerita Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is ‘furious’ over President Donald Trump deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to out of control illegal immigration riots.

Pelosi is still sore over the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot when she was Speaker and failed to protect the Capitol with sufficient police and D.C. National Guard troops, even though President Trump had offered 10,000 troops.

Speaking to Matt Berg with lefty news site Crooked Media, the 85-year-old Catholic grandmother of nine Pelosi, let the F-bomb fly (excerpt):

Nancy Pelosi is furious about Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to the Los Angeles protests and not during the Capitol riots, the California lawmaker exclusively told What A Day.

Demonstrations roiled part of downtown Los Angeles and a working-class suburb over the weekend, sparked by a trio of ICE raids on workplaces. Now, President Donald Trump is saying that Los Angeles would’ve been “completely obliterated” had he not sent in the National Guard. (That’s a lie: Los Angeles is massive, and the protests didn’t affect most residents.)

What’s also bothering Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), however, is the fact that Trump didn’t send the National Guard to the Capitol during the January 6 riots: “It’s overwhelming because [the insurrectionists] want to put a bullet in my F-word head and they were going to hang the vice president of the United States — and this guy is not sending in the National Guard, and then lying about it to the public,” she told What A Day. “I’m very concerned about the hypocrisy.”

…Trump’s actions have “inflamed the conditions on the ground,” Pelosi added. “I don’t think there’s any mystery to the fact that the president is not acting in the constitutional way, in so many other respects, not just this.”

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Trump Federalizes California National Guard as Violent Leftist Mobs Lay Siege to ICE Agents — Bypassing Democrat Governor

After weeks of escalating leftist violence against federal immigration agents that culminated in over 1,000 rioters laying siege to federal buildings and assaulting ICE officers, President Trump took the extraordinary step of federalizing 2,000 California National Guard troops, marking the first time since 1965 that a president has activated a state’s National Guard without the governor’s consent.

Using rarely invoked federal powers under 10 U.S.C. 12406, Trump bypassed the authority of California’s Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom after violent mobs launched coordinated attacks on ICE agents and laid siege to federal buildings across the state.

The president’s directive cites a specific provision within Title 10 of the U.S. Code that allows federal deployment of National Guard forces when “there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.”

Trump’s order states that “to the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon was “mobilizing the National Guard IMMEDIATELY” and revealed that active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton, about 100 miles south of Los Angeles, were “on high alert” and could also be mobilized.

Trump’s directive specifically authorized Hegseth to “employ any other members of the regular Armed Forces as necessary to augment and support the protection of Federal functions and property,” indicating the administration is prepared to use whatever force necessary to restore federal authority.

The violent confrontations have spread beyond Los Angeles, with Minneapolis seeing protesters throw traffic cones and trash cans at federal law enforcement vehicles during an ICE operation at Las Cuatro Milpas restaurant.

The area, which was previously the site of violent riots following George Floyd’s death of a fentanyl overdose, again became a flashpoint as demonstrators physically obstructed federal vehicles and shouted at officers to “go home” and “quit their jobs.”

Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez joined the violent protesters, declaring the federal operation “completely wrong” and criticizing local police for assisting ICE agents in their lawful duties.

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Mesa High School student barred from wearing military stole at graduation

A graduation controversy is unfolding at Arizona’s largest school district, Mesa Public Schools. School leaders won’t allow a senior at Mesa High School who is enlisted in the National Guard to wear a military stole at graduation on Thursday.

Daniela Rascon-Rivas earned the stole when she enlisted in the Arizona National Guard. “It would show my classmates that I am enlisted in the Army and that I am fighting for them, keeping our country safe from foreign and domestic enemies,” she says.

Rascon-Rivas says a Mesa High School administrator brought her down to the office last week to explain the district policy against wearing the stole at graduation. “I was disheartened. I was disappointed,” she says. “I felt betrayed.”

Mesa High sent Arizona’s Family a statement, reading in part, “Mesa High absolutely encourages families to bring their student’s stoles for photos and celebrations after the event.”

“I see no point in wearing it afterward,” Rascon-Rivas says. “The point of me wearing these stoles and cords is so that my classmates can see what I have accomplished and the accolades I have collected.”

Her father is also expressing disappointment. “When I got notice that she cannot wear the stole, that broke my heart,” says Jose Rascon.

Rascon-Rivas started a petition that’s gotten the attention of school board member Rachel Walden. “You get that one shot where you go up and grab your diploma and you do the handshake for the photo,” Walden says. “If she has her National Guard stole on, that’s going to make the night more meaningful for her. I think there’s no reason she shouldn’t be able to do that.”

Walden thinks the superintendent should step in and order the school administration to allow the military stoles on Thursday. “If they have to pull rank, then that’s what needs to be done,” she says. “Then we can address it permanently going forward by writing it into policy, if my colleagues on the board agree with that, we can pass a vote to update our policy.”

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National Guard helicopter crew landed on Montana ranch and trespassed to take antlers, citations say

Three Montana Army National Guard members face trespassing charges after authorities said they landed a Black Hawk helicopter in a mountain pasture on a private ranch to take several elk antlers before flying away.

A witness saw the May 4 landing and the person who owns the property reported it to officials, who tracked down the three guard members, Sweet Grass County Sheriff Alan Ronneberg said Thursday.

The guardsmen had been on a training flight from the city of Billings to Helena, the state capital, said Major Ryan Finnegan with the Montana National Guard. The helicopter landed briefly in the pasture located in the foothills of the Crazy Mountains, where the crew members picked up two individual antlers and an old elk skull with antlers still attached, the sheriff said.

Elk antlers — which grow and drop off male animals annually — are highly prized and can be sold by the pound. They also are collected from the wild as keepsakes.

The antlers and skull taken by the guardsmen were worth a combined $300 to $400, according to Ronneberg. They were later turned over to a state game warden.

Trespassers taking antlers from private land is not uncommon in Montana and other western states.

“This an odd one,” Ronneberg said. “Usually somebody parks on the side of the road and crosses into private ground and picks up a shed,” he said, referring to an antler that’s been shed by an elk.

Citations issued to two of the guardsmen said they “entered posted private property that was posted as trespassing for the purpose of elk antler removal.” The citation for the third again mentioned trespassing and also that “subject landed military helicopter on private property.”

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Former Member of Michigan Army National Guard Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said Arrested For Plotting Mass Shooting at Military Base on Behalf of ISIS

The Feds arrested former member of Michigan Army National Guard Ammar Abdulmajid-Mohamed Said for plotting a mass shooting at a military base in Warren, Michigan.

The DOJ announced that Said, 19, was charged in a criminal complaint with “attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and distributing information related to a destructive device.”

“According to the complaint, Said informed two undercover law enforcement officers of a plan he had devised and formulated to conduct a mass-shooting at the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) facility at the Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan. In April 2025, the two undercover officers indicated they intended to carry out Said’s plan at the direction of ISIS. In response, Said provided material assistance to the attack plan, including providing armor-piercing ammunition and magazines for the attack, flying his drone over TACOM to conduct operational reconnaissance, training the undercover employees on firearms and the construction of Molotov cocktails for use during the attack, and planning numerous details of the attack including how to enter TACOM and which building to target,” the DOJ said.

“On May 13 – the scheduled day of the attack – Said was arrested after he traveled to an area near TACOM and launched his drone in support of the attack plan. He will make his initial court appearance today in the Eastern District of Michigan. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will be asking the court to hold Said in pretrial detention because of his danger to the community and the risk that he will flee,” the DOJ said.

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Ohio Guard shootings at Kent State 55 years ago fueled protests at Ohio State, across U.S.

On this date 55 years ago, May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guard members fired on student protesters at Kent State University, killing four students and wounding nine others.

The students were protesting the escalation of the Vietnam War into Cambodia. The shootings became a pivotal moment in the anti-Vietnam War movement, highlighting the deep divisions and tensions in the country at the time over U.S. involvement and the loss of lives.

An investigation was conducted into the Kent State shootings by the Ohio National Guard, who were sent to the university and nearby town by Ohio Gov. James Rhodes at the request of town officials in response to violence May 1, 1970, in which downtown businesses were damaged.

Eight guardsmen were later indicted by a federal grand jury for their involvement in the May 4 shootings. But U.S. District Court Judge Frank Battisti dismissed the case in the middle of the trial, claiming the government’s case was so weak the attorneys for the guardsmen didn’t even have to present a defense.

Students at Ohio State, along with many other universities across the country, were deeply affected by the shootings at Kent State and the broader issues surrounding the Vietnam War. Protests at Ohio State intensified immediately after the Kent State shootings, leading to clashes between students and authorities there. The campus saw large demonstrations, sit-ins, and strikes as students expressed their outrage and demanded changes.

These protests were part of a nationwide wave of student activism that sought to address not only the Vietnam War but also issues of civil rights and social justice.

Several days before Kent State, on April 29, 1970, Ohio State students boycotted classes after administrators rejected calls to add Black and women’s studies courses to the university curriculum. Columbus Mayor M.E. “Jack” Sensenbrenner declared a state of emergency and a curfew was put in place on April 30, 1970

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National Guard Deployed to Albuquerque, New Mexico as Crime Crisis Skyrockets

Albuquerque, New Mexico, is turning to the National Guard for support as crime continues to surge in the state’s largest city. The move comes after local law enforcement requested help dealing with what officials describe as an unrelenting public safety crisis — including violent crime, rampant drug use and a growing homeless population.

Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham approved the deployment of between 60 and 70 National Guard troops in response to an emergency request from Albuquerque Police Chief Harold Medina. Troops will begin arriving in May and are expected to remain in the city for six months to a year, depending on conditions on the ground.

Albuquerque, home to over a quarter of New Mexico’s population, has been overwhelmed by crime in recent years. Central Avenue — a stretch of the historic Route 66 — has become a hotspot for illegal activity, open-air drug markets and homeless encampments, the Daily Mail reports. 

Locals have dubbed the area “The War Zone,” a label that has gained national attention following a visit from YouTuber Nick Johnson, who described the neighborhood as “the most frightful in America” to his 1.1 million followers.

Although the National Guard will assist local authorities, guardsmen will not be performing active police duties, nor will they be armed or in uniform. According to reports, including from the Albuquerque Journal, the troops will wear plain polo shirts and be assigned to tasks such as courthouse and airport security. 

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BOOM! Kash Patel Fires Warning Shot at Pelosi During Senate Confirmation Hearing – Lays Blame for J6 Rioting Directly at the Feet of Nancy Pelosi 

Senator Ted Cruz questioned Kash Patel on Thursday during his confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Nancy Pelosi’s refusal to protect the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Finally, the truth is coming out!

Senator Ted Cruz: What were you doing on that day?

Kash Patel: On that day, specifically, responding to, preparing to mobilize and employ the National Guard once we got the lawful request from the local governing authority, which was the mayor of DC and the speaker of the House.

Senator Ted Cruz: Now, how many days in advance were you working to prepare the Department of Defense to help secure the Capitol on January sixth?

Kash Patel: Days in advance, Senator, we were in the oval office on an unrelated national security matter with the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and myself and the President authorized up to 20,000 plus National Guard men and women to secure any security measures necessarily related to the capital. We were moving to the fullest extent of the law before the requisite request came from a local governing authority days ahead of time.

Ted Cruz: While you were Chief of Staff at DOD, how many times did DOD approach Capitol Police and ask if they needed National Guard assistance?

Kash Patel: I believe those letters are well-documented numerous instances, and numerous of those instances, those requests were shut down.

Ted Cruz: Now, am I correct that the Capital Sergeant at Arms said assistance was unnecessary?

Kash Patel: That’s correct, Senator.

Ted Cruz: Who did the Sergeant at Arms report to?

Kash Patel: The speaker of the House.

Ted Cruz: That would have been Nancy Pelosi at the time. Is that correct?

Kash Patel: Yes, Senator.

Ted Cruz: Would that also be Chuck Schumer, then the Senate Majority Leader?

Kash Patel: The Sergeant at Arms, yes, Senator, reports up there.

Ted Cruz: Did Mayor Bowser, the Democrat elected mayor in DC, either request or allow National Guard assistance?

Kash Patel: She put in writing on the days leading up to January sixth, a declination for National Guard additional support, and that letter is available publicly to the world.

Ted Cruz: Just to speak English for folks at home, a declination meant she said, no, don’t send National Guard. Is that right?
Kash Patel:

Ted Cruz: Yes sir.

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The National Guard and the Militarization of D.C.

Fox News recently published a story entitled “Defense Secretary Austin overruled National Guard chief on keeping troops at the Capitol: memo.” To many readers, this may have appeared to be a sensationalized article throwing fuel on the embers of an already charred military issue in our nation’s capital. But the story captures a troubling divide between the new defense secretary and the chief of the National Guard Bureau over the appropriate use of the Guard. Yet, amid this break in ranks, the story suggests a much larger and more concerning dilemma. And it is what the Founding Fathers feared most.

The article references a defense memo or coordination sheet normally used to “concur” or “non-concur” on issues within the Defense Department. In this instance, a policy memo from the defense secretary’s office requested an “Extension of NG [National Guard] support to U.S. Capitol Police” with an additional 2,280 guardsmen to support the U.S. Capitol Police security detail beyond March 12. However, there are several issues with the request.

From my experience in the Pentagon, this type of appeal is not easily granted. It usually requires a stringent justifying rationale and reason that explains the request’s urgency. Each submission is officially petitioned through a formal request-for-assistance and sent to the DoD’s executive secretary, where it is staffed for coordination — an arduous process involving rigorous approval criteria that can take weeks.

Here is where the problem begins.

The latest Capitol Police request to extend Guard support was coordinated in two days and failed to give a convincing case for approval. Laying out its rationale, the Capitol Police referenced the Department of Homeland Security’s National Terrorism Advisory System, particularly the Jan.  27, 2021, threat bulletin, as the chief reason for the augmented security support.

The bulletin summary describes a “heightened threat environment” using words like “believes” or “suggests” that “ideologically-motivated violent extremists [domestic violent extremists] …could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence” – a somewhat anemic threat assessment to justify the continued military presence in our Capitol.

Also, federal statutes and defense directives come into play when the military is used in direct support of law enforcement, which is the case here. The Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, and other federal laws limit the powers of the government to use U.S. troops to “execute the laws,” including “search, seizure, arrest, or other similar activity” — a concerning legal quandary.

What is more, the defense department’s support of civil authority’s directive provides ruling guidance for any assistance in missions normally carried out by civil authorities. The defense regulation has six approval criteria to “examine” and “assess” the need for support. If we use the regulation’s six criteria — legality, lethality, risk, cost, appropriateness, and readiness — an argument can be made that any one of them would disqualify the Capitol Police application.

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