Wisconsin Examiner

Wisconsin Republicans Condemn Evers for Supporting California Governor

Joins other governors backing Gov. Newsom, bashing President's 'abuse of power.'

By , Wisconsin Examiner - Jun 11th, 2025 04:51 pm
Evers talks to reporters in March 2025. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner. )

Evers talks to reporters in March 2025. (Photo by Baylor Spears/Wisconsin Examiner. )

Wisconsin Republicans considering running for governor in 2026 are criticizing Gov. Tony Evers for supporting California Gov. Gavin Newsom as he pushes back against President Donald Trump for sending armed troops into the state to respond to protests.

As of Tuesday, President Donald Trump has authorized deployment of 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to Los Angeles as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids continue in the southern California city. This is the first time in six decades that a president has called National Guard troops to respond to civil unrest without a governor’s request for help. The last time, in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights protesters.

Democratic governors, including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, asserted their support for California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a joint statement Monday, saying that Trump’s actions were an “alarming abuse of power.”

“Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guard and the federal government activating them in their own borders without consulting or working with a state’s governor is ineffective and dangerous,” the governors said. “Further, threatening to send the U.S. Marines into American neighborhoods undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement. It’s important we respect the executive authority of our country’s governors to manage their National Guards — and we stand with Gov. Newsom who has made it clear that violence is unacceptable and that local authorities should be able to do their jobs without the chaos of this federal interference and intimidation.”

The Los Angeles police have said they could handle the protests, which had been mostly peaceful, though some violence had occurred.

Newsom has said he is suing Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Department of Defense for taking over the California’s National Guard unit, saying it has “needlessly escalated chaos and violence in the Los Angeles region.”

White House border czar Tom Homan has suggested that he would arrest Newsom, but he hadn’t “crossed the line” yet. Trump, asked about the idea of arresting Newsom, said that he would “do it.” After Trump appeared open to the idea, Homan said there is “no intention to arrest the governor right now.”

Wisconsin Republicans are standing behind Trump’s actions in LA and connecting Newsom to Evers’ actions regarding ICE.

In reaction to the governors’ statement, Wisconsin businessman and Navy veteran Bill Berrien, who is considering running for governor in 2026, issued a press release through his Never Out of the Fight PAC saying that Newsom and Evers are enabling the “invasion of illegal immigrants” and “violent protests.” Berrien formed the PAC in April to advance conservative causes and to help Republicans win federal, state and local elections.

“We should be condemning this violence but our governor is once again putting violent criminals above law-abiding citizens,” Berrien said. “I served as a Navy SEAL to protect our country. President Trump is right to step up and end this chaos.”

Josh Schoemann, the first GOP candidate to officially launch a 2026 campaignresponded to a social media post that said the Democratic governors were endorsing “lawlessness and chaos on American streets,” noting a memo on ICE that Evers sent to state employees with guidance on handling ICE, and declaring “Tony’s Gotta Go!!”

Republicans have been critical of Evers for his handling of increased ICE activity in Wisconsin, including calling for him to be arrested when he stood by guidance that he gave to state employees to call a lawyer if ICE showed up at their office. Those calls came after Homan previously made comments that were interpreted as a threat to arrest Evers.

Evers released a three-minute video following Homan’s vague threat, saying that it represents a “concerning trajectory in this country.”

“We now have a federal government that will threaten or arrest an elected official — or even everyday American citizens — who have broken no laws, committed no crimes, and done nothing wrong,” Evers said in early May. “As disgusted as I am about the continued actions of the Trump Administration, I am not afraid. I have never once been discouraged from doing the right thing, and I will not start today.”

Wisconsin Republicans condemn Evers for supporting California governor was originally published by the Wisconsin Examiner.

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Comments

  1. Duane says:

    So do WI reps think Evers should be “tarred and feathered” like Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said should be done ro Gavin Newsome? Why aren’t we pointing out Speaker Johnson’s violent rhetoric in the media? Why is it always protestors portrayed in the media as violent rioters when they are not?

  2. Franklin Furter says:

    News flash: “Dog bites man.”

  3. mr_cox says:

    Republicans jettisoned all ethics and norms with President Trump. How much longer will they rely on the now-rendered-quaint ideas of ‘condemnation’ or ‘censure’ to hold meaning with the public? The GOP abandoned any senses of platform or principles– the so-called party of states’ rights now calls for governors’ powers to be usurped without due process, ‘without due process’ becoming the only recognizable principle they stand for.

    Give it a break with the fake pearl-clutching.

  4. tornado75 says:

    again the republicans, and at this point, find me one who isn’t) are on the wrong side of the issue. is a gov. supposed to cave to bullying tactics? ‘tar and feather’ a government official in support of an egotistical, narcissistic personality disorder president? who should be impeached and/or resign because of his erratic behavior, well, of course, the president.

  5. jimboxp says:

    Josh “Schoe” man is going to bite the dust like Brad Schimel. Complete moron.

  6. SiddyMonty says:

    I keep hearing from friends that there are people who voted dutifully for a Republican in every election. I hear that many of them just don’t like trump’s way of running things but couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a woman, or a person of color. If any, any, any of these people find feel regret now, it would be great if they would speak out. Loudly!

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