Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe activates National Guard, declares State of Emergency
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe announced Thursday that he has activated the Missouri National Guard in response to civil unrest across the United States.
Missouri Executive Order 25-25 declares a State of Emergency and allows the Adjutant General to order service members to aid state officials.
Federal task force established to fight transnational crime in KC region
The order comes after the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Missouri National Guard, and the 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 protests roar on throughout the nation in response to the federal government's immigration policies, Gov. Kehoe says his order is purely precautionary at this time.
'We respect, and will defend, the right to peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence or lawlessness in our state,' Gov. Kehoe said.
Presumed remains of missing 81-year-old Overland Park woman found near car
'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.'
To read Gov. Kehoe's full order, click here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Missouri governor activates National Guard, declares state of emergency
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 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. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas' Office shared a statement Thursday regarding the mayor's concerns about Gov. Kehoe's decision. 'Mayor Lucas is concerned with enhanced state enforcement for one set of protestors, but no action or aid to local law enforcement when Neo-Nazis march through Missouri's urban streets,' the statement reads. 'The Mayor has confidence in responsible protestors to use their First Amendment rights peacefully and in compliance with the law. More than one thousand Kansas Citians protested peacefully and responsibly just days ago.' 'For those who do not act responsibly, the Mayor stands by the women and men of local law enforcement at KCPD and other agencies to handle any necessary enforcement actions,' it continues. 'Unnecessary escalation from our nation's capital and state capitals undermines local law enforcement and makes all less safe.' Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City) also responded Thursday, saying the governor's actions are unwarranted: 'Governor Kehoe's preemptive declaration of a state of emergency as Missourians prepare to protest an increasingly authoritarian presidential administration is a blatant attempt to intimidate and suppress First Amendment rights,' she wrote in a statement. 'The protests planned this weekend across Missouri and throughout the nation were sparked by the president's unwarranted and heavy-handed military response to opposition to his policies,' the state lawmaker added. 'By doing the same, the governor will only heighten tensions and increase the possibility of conflict. Governor Kehoe should staunchly defend the rights of Missourians, not mimic the authoritarianism of the president.' The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) too condemned the governor's actions, calling it an 'unnecessary provocation.' 'Governor Kehoe's decision to activate Missouri's National Guard serves as an unnecessary provocation to thwart public dissent,' the ACLU wrote. 'The right for people to join in protests or peaceful assembly is core to the First Amendment, and critical to a functioning democracy. Government and law enforcement officials have the moral and constitutional responsibility to stop the escalation, practice restraint, and allow Missourians to exercise this foundational right.' 'It is critical that Missourians who plan on attending know and educate others of their rights around protests and police interactions,' the union added. 'We emphasize attendees to prioritize de-escalation, even in moments of governmental provocation and fear-mongering, and to lookout for one another.' Lucas also posted on social platform X after California Sen. Alex Padilla (D) was forcibly removed from a press conference on Thursday. 'One of our few Latino senators tries to ask a question of a cabinet secretary over whom he has oversight responsibility, and is placed in handcuffs on the ground. Shameful,' he wrote. Other state officials have commended Kehoe for his actions. U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) said the governor is sending a strong message. 'We support the first amendment right of every Missourian to peacefully demonstrate, but violence and riots will NOT be tolerated in the Show Me State,' Alford wrote on x. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey thanked Kehoe for 'taking preemptive measures to ensure the lawlessness we've seen across our country does not reach our state.' 'We will not allow what is going on in LA to happen in Missouri,' Bailey wrote on X. On President Trump's order, thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines were deployed to Los Angeles following protests in response to the administration's enforcement of immigration laws. This has prompted Los Angeles officials to enforce curfews. Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the president of abusing his authority. In addition to protests nationwide, activists are also planning 'No Kings' events across the country Saturday to coincide with the president's planned military parade in Washington. In Kansas City, a 'No Kings Rally' will be held Saturday at the Country Club Plaza from noon to 3 p.m. Texas has also readied roughly 5,000 National Guard troops ahead of expected protests. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
4 hours ago
- The Hill
Missouri governor activates National Guard, declares state of emergency
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 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. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas' Office shared a statement Thursday regarding the mayor's concerns about Gov. Kehoe's decision. 'Mayor Lucas is concerned with enhanced state enforcement for one set of protestors, but no action or aid to local law enforcement when Neo-Nazis march through Missouri's urban streets,' the statement reads. 'The Mayor has confidence in responsible protestors to use their First Amendment rights peacefully and in compliance with the law. More than one thousand Kansas Citians protested peacefully and responsibly just days ago.' 'For those who do not act responsibly, the Mayor stands by the women and men of local law enforcement at KCPD and other agencies to handle any necessary enforcement actions,' it continues. 'Unnecessary escalation from our nation's capital and state capitals undermines local law enforcement and makes all less safe.' Missouri House Minority Leader Ashley Aune (D-Kansas City) also responded Thursday, saying the governor's actions are unwarranted: 'Governor Kehoe's preemptive declaration of a state of emergency as Missourians prepare to protest an increasingly authoritarian presidential administration is a blatant attempt to intimidate and suppress First Amendment rights,' she wrote in a statement. 'The protests planned this weekend across Missouri and throughout the nation were sparked by the president's unwarranted and heavy-handed military response to opposition to his policies,' the state lawmaker added. 'By doing the same, the governor will only heighten tensions and increase the possibility of conflict. Governor Kehoe should staunchly defend the rights of Missourians, not mimic the authoritarianism of the president.' The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) too condemned the governor's actions, calling it an 'unnecessary provocation.' 'Governor Kehoe's decision to activate Missouri's National Guard serves as an unnecessary provocation to thwart public dissent,' the ACLU wrote. 'The right for people to join in protests or peaceful assembly is core to the First Amendment, and critical to a functioning democracy. Government and law enforcement officials have the moral and constitutional responsibility to stop the escalation, practice restraint, and allow Missourians to exercise this foundational right.' 'It is critical that Missourians who plan on attending know and educate others of their rights around protests and police interactions,' the union added. 'We emphasize attendees to prioritize de-escalation, even in moments of governmental provocation and fear-mongering, and to lookout for one another.' Lucas also posted on social platform X after California Sen. Alex Padilla (D) was forcibly removed from a press conference on Thursday. 'One of our few Latino senators tries to ask a question of a cabinet secretary over whom he has oversight responsibility, and is placed in handcuffs on the ground. Shameful,' he wrote. Other state officials have commended Kehoe for his actions. U.S. Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) said the governor is sending a strong message. 'We support the first amendment right of every Missourian to peacefully demonstrate, but violence and riots will NOT be tolerated in the Show Me State,' Alford wrote on x. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey thanked Kehoe for 'taking preemptive measures to ensure the lawlessness we've seen across our country does not reach our state.' 'We will not allow what is going on in LA to happen in Missouri,' Bailey wrote on X. On President Trump's order, thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines were deployed to Los Angeles following protests in response to the administration's enforcement of immigration laws. This has prompted Los Angeles officials to enforce curfews. Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the president of abusing his authority. In addition to protests nationwide, activists are also planning 'No Kings' events across the country Saturday to coincide with the president's planned military parade in Washington. In Kansas City, a 'No Kings Rally' will be held Saturday at the Country Club Plaza from noon to 3 p.m. Texas has also readied roughly 5,000 National Guard troops ahead of expected protests. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
At least 30 ‘No Kings' rallies planned Saturday in Missouri, thousands nationwide
U.S. Army soldiers work on an assortment of M1 Alpha a3 Abrams tanks, stryker armored vehicles, and M2 Bradley fighting vehicles at West Potomac Park along the Potomac River on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Tanks and other heavy military equipment have arrived in the nation's capital for a military parade in honor of the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, which coincides with President Donald Trump's birthday and Flag Day (). A 'No Kings' demonstration is scheduled Saturday in downtown Columbia, one of nearly 30 planned in Missouri and almost 2,000 across the country against Trump administration policies. The 'No Kings Day of Defiance' was organized nationwide at the same time a military parade will mark the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary in Washington, D.C. The date also coincides with President Donald Trump's 79th birthday. In response to the planned rallies in Missouri, Gov. Mike Kehoe announced Thursday that he had activated the Missouri National Guard in preparation for the protests. The Guard will be mobilized only if 'assistance is needed to support local law enforcement,' according to a news release from the governor's office. The rallies across the country are intended to 'honor civil liberties for all' and protest deportation, U.S. actions in Gaza and recent funding cuts to government departments such as USAID, said Jeff Stack, coordinator of the Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation and an organizer of the demonstration in Columbia. A number of rallies are planned in Kansas City and St. Louis, with additional demonstrations scheduled in Boonville, Fayette, Marshall, Jefferson City, Warrensburg, Cape Girardeau, Springfield, Joplin, Rolla, St. Joseph, Poplar Bluff, West Plains, Kirksville, Maryville, Clinton and several other locations. The demonstrations were spurred by the 50501 movement, a network of opposition that organizes and calls for protests across the country. The number refers to 50 protests, 50 states, one movement, according to the organization's website. It began on the social media platform Reddit after Trump's second inauguration in January. The movement issued a statement earlier this month that 'all No Kings events adhere to a shared commitment to nonviolent protest and community safety.' Saturday is also Flag Day, a federal holiday that marks the adoption of the American flag on the date in 1777. No protest rally will be held in Washington, D.C., with the organizers saying it will 'make action everywhere else the story of America that day.' The rally in Columbia will be a 'nonpartisan event,' Stack said. It is not in direct response to the presence of the National Guard and ICE in Los Angeles, Stack said, but federal action on the streets of California is emblematic of what will be protested. 'We're not aligned with one particular party,' Stack said. 'We're just concerned about the policies.' The goals of 'No Kings' are to 'give people a chance to come together to air grievances' and 'honor the human rights and civil rights that we all have,' he said. Cutting federal funding, deporting immigrants, enacting policies that 'benefit the wealthiest of the wealthy' and laying off scores of federal employees are examples of the grievances, Stack said. The demonstration in Columbia will begin at 11 a.m. at the Boone County Courthouse, 705 E. Walnut St. Speakers will address the crowd until about 12:30 p.m., when there will be a march through downtown. This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.
