Minocqua, WI — In response to former President Donald Trump’s declared intent to invoke the Insurrection Act on April 20, citizen activists of 50501 with support from a resistance coalition including the Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC, is requesting that Governor Tony Evers stand firm in defense of civil liberties and refuse any federal effort to seize control of the Wisconsin National Guard.
In an open letter sent Tuesday to the Governor’s Office, citizen activists warned of Trump’s escalating rhetoric and unfounded claims of national crisis, specifically the false framing of border events as justification for military intervention. Trump’s proposed use of the Insurrection Act, they argue, would pave the way for a militarized crackdown on peaceful protests nationwide—including in Wisconsin.
“We are not going to sit by while a want-to-be authoritarian president attempts to rewrite the Constitution with threats and theatrics,” said Kirk Bangstad, founder of the Minocqua Brewing Company SuperPAC. “Wisconsin is not his playground, and our National Guard is not his private army.”
The letter cites Trump’s history of emboldening right-wing militia groups and leveraging chaos for political gain, as well as the legal authority granted to state governors under Title 32 of the U.S. Code to retain command of their state’s Guard unless lawfully federalized.
The coalition calls on Governor Evers to make an unequivocal public commitment that he will not comply with any unlawful federal directive aimed at suppressing First Amendment rights under the guise of “law and order.”
“We’re at a moment where governors must draw a hard line,” Bangstad added. “Governor Evers has the legal authority and the moral obligation to protect Wisconsin from federal overreach. We expect him to use that authority.”
This action was spearheaded by a coalition of progressive advocacy groups led by 50501 Wisconsin, and supported by The Citizen Activists of 50501 Wisconsin, Minocqua Brewing Company, Our Wisconsin Revolution, Brown County Indivisible, Marinette Menomonie Indivisible, Peaceful Patriots, DSA NEW, Forward Fox Valley, and Fox Valley Indivisible
The letter is below:
Governor Tony Evers
Office of the Governor
115 East, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53702
April 15, 2025
Re: Defense of Constitutional Rights and Rejection of Federal Overreach
Dear Governor Evers,
We, the undersigned members of Wisconsin communities, urge you to publicly and unequivocally refuse any request from President Donald Trump and his administration to deploy the Wisconsin National Guard to suppress peaceful protests in our state.
Whereas President Trump has announced his intention to invoke the Insurrection Act on April 20, which is now only days away;
Whereas President Trump has falsely suggested manufacturing a crisis or war scenario involving migrants at our borders as justification for military intervention;
Whereas the right to peaceful protest is a foundational pillar of American democracy, protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution;
Whereas President Trump has emboldened right-wing extremist militias through rhetoric and tacit support, creating an environment where violence is not only more likely but politically useful to him;
Whereas these militia groups, often armed and ideologically aligned with Trump, have been allowed to disrupt and intimidate peaceful demonstrations across the country, laying the groundwork for Trump to falsely label these uprisings as threats requiring military suppression;
Whereas Trump has repeatedly attempted to use the violence instigated or escalated by such groups as justification to call in armed federal or state forces, threatening peaceful protestors with militarized responses under the banner of “law and order”;
Whereas Title 32 of the U.S. Code explicitly affirms the authority of state governors to withhold control of their National Guard forces from federal commandeering absent proper legal grounds;
Therefore, we call upon you, Governor Tony Evers, to make an unambiguous public commitment: that you will not allow Donald Trump or Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to seize control of Wisconsin’s National Guard for the purpose of suppressing peaceful assembly, intimidating residents, or violating constitutional rights under the false banner of restoring order.
Wisconsin must not be complicit in enabling federal abuses of power. We must not allow violence—whether incited by militias or by those in the highest offices—to become the excuse for dismantling democracy. We urge you to use every legal and moral tool at your disposal to protect our communities from authoritarian overreach and stand firm in defense of human rights, constitutional freedom, and the rule of law.
Your leadership at this moment will not only protect Wisconsin—it will send a clear message nationwide that our state does not yield to unlawful coercion.
Respectfully,
The Citizen Activists of 50501 Wisconsin
Minocqua Brewing Company
Our Wisconsin Revolution
Brown County Indivisible
Marinette Menomonie Indivisible
Peaceful Patriots
DSA NEW
Forward Fox Valley
Fox Valley Indivisible
