Trump and Governor Newsom Clash Intensifies
Newsom: "Deployment of National Guard Is Illegal... Will File Lawsuit"
Trump: "I Would Like to See Newsom Arrested"
The California state government announced on June 9 (local time) that it will file a lawsuit against the Donald Trump administration for deploying the state National Guard in response to protests in Los Angeles (LA) against crackdowns on undocumented immigrants. President Trump escalated tensions by stating that Governor Gavin Newsom of California "should be arrested." The LA protest incident has triggered a direct confrontation between Governor Newsom, a prominent Democratic contender for the next presidential election, and President Trump.
Rob Bonta, California's Attorney General, held a press conference that day and stated, "We do not take lightly the President's abuse of power and illegal mobilization of the California National Guard," announcing plans to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
This situation unfolded as protests opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdowns on undocumented immigrants began in LA, California's largest city, on June 6 and intensified in the following days. After clashes erupted between protesters and the LA police, President Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops on June 7. As the protests continued for a fourth day, vehicles were set on fire, police fired tear gas and flashbangs at protesters, and protesters responded by throwing rocks, glass bottles, and fireworks at the police, further escalating the conflict between both sides.
Governor Newsom immediately pushed back against President Trump's deployment of the National Guard, announcing on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "We will file a lawsuit." Control over the National Guard typically lies with the governor, except in cases of national insurrection or other serious circumstances, so President Trump's deployment of the National Guard without prior consultation is being criticized as illegal. Governor Newsom also argued that President Trump is worsening the situation through harsh crackdowns.
President Trump also raised the level of his attacks against Governor Newsom in response. Criticizing Newsom's handling of the LA protests, he stated that he "would like to see [Newsom] arrested." At the White House, President Trump told reporters that, regarding "border czar" Tom Homan's warning that Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass could be arrested for obstructing immigration enforcement, "If I were Tom, I would do it," adding, "I think it would be a wonderful thing." He continued, "Gavin did a terrible job," and "He is utterly incompetent." When asked about media reports that the US military is preparing to deploy 700 Marines to LA, he responded, "We will watch the situation."
President Trump also wrote on his own social media platform, Truth Social, that the deployment of the National Guard was "an excellent decision." He said it was "to respond to the violent and inflammatory riots that occurred in California," and claimed, "If we hadn't done so, LA would have been completely devastated." He added, "The very incompetent Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass should be saying, 'President Trump, thank you very much. You are truly wonderful. Without you, we would have been nothing.'" He then criticized, "Instead, they (Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass) chose to lie to the people of California and the United States, claiming that we didn't need the National Guard and that they were 'peaceful protests.'"
Some observers analyze that President Trump is leveraging this situation as a political opportunity by putting the issue of undocumented immigration crackdowns?a key policy agenda?at the forefront in California, a Democratic stronghold. This is seen as a strategic move to strengthen his policy momentum and consolidate his support base, while also aiming to weaken the political standing of Governor Newsom, a leading Democratic contender for the next presidential election.
This is not the first time the two sides have clashed. Previously, President Trump threatened to restrict federal support for California over the issue of transgender women participating in sports competitions. During that process, he referred to Governor Newsom as "Newscum," combining "Newsom" with "scum," meaning garbage.
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