Trump Commends National Guard for Easing LA Protests, Yet Newsom Assert Troops Were Still Away
Fresh Take:
In the heat of June, the streets of Los Angeles turned chaotic following immigration enforcement protests on the 6th. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared the protests an unlawful assembly, using force like tear gas, rubber bullets, and other deterrents.
Amidst the turmoil, President Donald Trump praised the California National Guard for their response to the violence in a post on Truth Social on June 8, dubbing it "a job well done!" However, the National Guard hadn't even arrived in Los Angeles yet, as confirmed by news reports and a spokesperson for the California governor.
Take a Deep Dive
The protests in downtown Los Angeles had started on June 6 in response to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. As the unrest continued through the weekend, reports of vandalism, burning cars, and looting ensued. Trump announced on June 7 that he was deploying 2,000 California National Guard members, resulting in criticism from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom as an unnecessary escalation.
Scenario Unraveled
Less than an hour after Trump's Truth Social post, Bass revealed that the National Guard wasn't on the scene. Later that morning, Newsom pointed out the timeline discrepancy in another post.
The National Guard finally deployed between 02:00 PDT and 04:00 PDT (05:00 EDT to 07:00 EDT), with the first media reports of Guard troops on the ground in Los Angeles happening around 06:00 PDT (09:00 EDT).
Here's a breakdown of what happened on June 8:
- 00:51 EDT: US Northern Command, a Department of Defense sector that assists with National Guard oversight, announced that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered US Northern Command to assume command of 2,000 California National Guard forces to protect federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area, potentially calling active-duty US Marines to respond.
- 02:41 EDT: Trump praised the National Guard for their work, criticized Newsom and Bass, and described the protests as violent unrest.
- 03:22 EDT: Bass posted that the National Guard was not yet present.
- 04:32 EDT: CNN reported that it had seen no evidence that Guard units were on the ground.
- Between 05:00 EDT and 07:00 EDT: The National Guard deployed during this timeframe, according to a spokesperson for the California governor.
- About 09:00 EDT: The Washington Post reported that the earliest photos and videos of National Guard members arriving in Los Angeles were captured around this time, which was 06:00 PDT.
- 11:03 EDT: US Northern Command confirmed that elements of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the California National Guard had begun deploying to the Los Angeles area, with some already on the ground.
- 12:07 EDT: US Northern Command announced that 300 members of the California National Guard were deployed to three locations in the Los Angeles area.
- 12:08 EDT: The California National Guard members gathered near the Metropolitan Detention Centre in downtown LA, according to the Los Angeles Times.
- 12:17 EDT: The LAPD announced that the National Guard had been deployed to federal facilities.
- About 13:30 EDT: The New York Times reported that at 10:30 PDT, nearly 300 members of the California Guard took positions at three different sites around the city.
- 12:29 EDT: US Northern Command posted photos of California National Guard members in LA, working with the Department of Homeland Security.
- 17:06 EDT: Trump said he directed federal agencies to coordinate their response to the Los Angeles protests.
- 18:27 EDT: Newsom requested that the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles County and return them to his command.
- 20:03 EDT: US Northern Command shared a press release announcing that approximately 2,000 members of the California National Guard had been "placed under federal command" to be ready to assist in efforts against LA protests. It reiterated that 300 members of the California Army National Guard were deployed at three locations.
- 22:23 EDT: Newsom announced plans to file a lawsuit against Trump for taking over the California National Guard.
This report has been reviewed and verified by PolitiFact researcher Caryn Baird.
Side Note
There is no information available in the search results about a similar event occurring on June 8, 2022.
- The chaos in Los Angeles streets, ignited by immigration protests, raised questions about the role of politics in war-and-conflicts, as President Donald Trump praised the National Guard's response before they had even arrived.
- The delay in the National Guard's deployment, despite Trump's announcement and praises, became a point of contention in the discourse on policy-and-legislation and crime-and-justice.
- In the aftermath of car-accidents, vandalism, and looting during the protests, discussions regarding general-news and the effectiveness of law enforcement arose, with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom criticizing Trump's decision to send in the National Guard.
- As the timeline of the National Guard's deployment unraveled, revealing discrepancies between Trump's statements and reality, the public opinion on war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and politics shifted, with many viewing it as a misuse of power.
- In the midst of this unexpected turn of events, the incident sparked a debate about the limits of the president's power in instances of war-and-conflicts, with Governor Newsom proceeding to file a lawsuit against Trump for taking over the California National Guard.
