Governor Gavin Newsom delivered a powerful statement on Tuesday night, accusing President Donald Trump of deliberately escalating the tensions surrounding the recent protests in Los Angeles. Newsom condemned Trump's actions as a “military dragnet” that endangered peaceful protesters and targeted hardworking immigrant families. This strong rebuke came shortly after Trump claimed that deploying the California National Guard and U.S. Marines was essential for maintaining order amid the civil unrest.
“Donald Trump’s government isn’t protecting our communities — they’re traumatizing our communities,” Newsom stated emphatically. “And that seems to be the entire point.” His remarks followed Trump’s speech at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina, where the president justified the military deployment as necessary to protect immigration agents from a so-called “vicious and violent mob.” This characterization starkly contrasts with Newsom's assertion that state and local law enforcement had been effectively maintaining peace until federal authorities intervened with “tear gas,” “flash-bang grenades,” and “rubber bullets” against Angelenos exercising their constitutional rights.
Newsom went on to assert that Trump “illegally” summoned the California National Guard. “This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers, and even our National Guard at risk,” he remarked. The governor attributed the escalation of violence to Trump’s actions, declaring, “He doubled down on his dangerous National Guard deployment by fanning the flames even harder. And the president did it on purpose.”
As a prominent figure in the ongoing political and legal battles surrounding the protests, Newsom has repeatedly labeled Trump’s deployment of military forces as “unhinged,” accusing the president of intentionally instigating chaos to distract from his actions in Washington and revealing his “dictatorial tendencies.” In response, Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a request for a restraining order, seeking to halt the “Department of Defense’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles.” This legal action followed California's lawsuit against the Trump administration for deploying the guard without the governor's consent, which they argue violates the U.S. Constitution.
Upon returning to Washington, Trump claimed to have a “good relationship” with Newsom but quickly shifted blame to the governor for the unrest. “This should never have been allowed to start,” Trump said. “If we didn’t get involved, Los Angeles would be burning down right now,” referencing the deadly wildfires that affected the area in January. He insisted that the military's presence was meant to de-escalate the situation and referred to protesters as paid “insurrectionists,” “agitators,” and “troublemakers.”
In a statement regarding the upcoming Olympics, Trump remarked, “We have a lot of people all over the world watching Los Angeles,” implying that the situation could tarnish the city’s reputation. On Monday, Trump also suggested that his top border policy advisor, Tom Homan, should consider arresting Newsom, a comment that the governor quickly seized upon, likening the federal administration's threats to an “authoritarian regime.” “I never thought I’d hear those words,” Newsom expressed. “Honestly, Democrat or Republican, I never thought I’d hear those in my lifetime — to threaten a political opponent who happens to be a sitting governor.”
In a related exchange, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) refrained from responding to whether Newsom should face arrest, instead suggesting that the governor should be “tarred and feathered.” Newsom countered, criticizing Johnson for neglecting his responsibility to Congress and serve as a check on the White House. He warned that “other states are next,” emphasizing the need for accountability in the face of federal overreach.
“At this moment, we all need to stand up and be held to account, a higher level of accountability,” Newsom urged, encouraging protesters to exercise their free-speech rights peacefully. “I know many of you are feeling deep anxiety, stress, and fear. But I want you to know that you are the antidote to that fear and anxiety.” He cautioned that what Trump desires most is silence and complicity, concluding with a rallying call: “Do not give in to him.”
