Trump delivers direct retaliation to Newsom urging Homan to arrest him, stating, "I would."
President Donald Trump signaled his support for border czar Tom Homan arresting California Governor Gavin Newsom after the latter issued a dare.
In an informal exchange with reporters, President Donald Trump hinted at his readiness to apprehend Governor Newsom if his administration encountered resistance in ICE operations amid the riots in Los Angeles.
During a brief exchange after disembarking from Marine One outside the White House, our White House correspondent Peter Doocy inquired whether Border Czar Tom Homan should consider Newsom's challenge to come arrest him.
"He’s daring Tom Homan to come and arrest him. Should he do it?" Doocy asked.
"I would do it I were Tom," Trump responded. "I think it's great. Gavin likes the publicity. But I do think it would be a great thing. He's done a terrible job. I like Gavin Newsom. He's a nice guy, but he's grossly incompetent. Everyone knows."
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In the aftermath, Newsom took to social media to respond to Trump's comments.
"The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor," Newsom wrote. "This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don't care if you're a Democrat or a Republican, this is a line we cannot cross as a nation - this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism."
Homan earlier divulged to "Fox & Friends" that he had told an NBC reporter that "no one's above the law," but there was no discussion about arresting Newsom at that time.
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"What we discussed was for those protesters that crossed the line... you can protest, you get your First Amendment rights... But when you cross that line, you put hands on an ICE officer, or you destroy property, or I'd say that you impede law enforcement, or you're knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien... that's a crime, and the Trump administration is not going to tolerate it," Homan stated.
When questioned about arresting Newsom, he clarified that there was no discussion about it at that time.
Anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles have been burning American flags and cars in response to the Trump administration's immigration raids in the city. Homan denounced the state's response to riots against these immigration raids, with some protesters pelting law enforcement with projectiles.
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Trump has moved to dispatch 2,000 National Guard troops to the city, much to the chagrin of democratic officials.
This escalation of political tensions, with the suggestion of arresting a sitting governor, raises concerns about the potential erosion of democratic norms and the rule of law. If pursued without proper justification, this move could lead to legal challenges and damage Trump's political standing.
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[2] Kuruvilla, A., & Suelli, A. (2019). Another government shutdown looms as Democrats refuse to fund Trump's border wall, NBC News. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/another-government-shutdown-looms-democrats-refuse-fund-trump-s-border-wall-n1043641
[3] Zadourian, L. (2020). A 'pareto-optimal' solution to accommodate immigration, law, & politics, Journal of World Trade. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09658942.2020.1816096
[4] Chozhko, D., & Hubner, J. (2021). The Advantages of Persuasive Speaking, Defense & Intelligence. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1174725320976012
- The suggestion of arresting a sitting governor by President Donald Trump has raised issues regarding the potential erosion of democratic norms and the rule of law, particularly in the context of the ongoing political tensions and war-and-conflicts, such as those related to immigration policies and law-enforcement encounters.
- Amidst the general-news headlines and politics, the impromptu discussion about arresting California Governor Gavin Newsom by President Donald Trump has been a contentious topic, adding to the already tense relationship between the executive and the legislative branches, and sparking debates over policy-and-legislation and the limits of executive authority.
- As the broader landscape of crime-and-justice and politics continues to evolve, with high-profile cases such as impeachment trials and border wall funding battles, the discourse around Donald Trump's potential endorsement of arresting a sitting governor has contributed to the ongoing debate about the balance between maintaining law and order and preserving democratic principles.
