Trump expresses enthusiasm about potential ICE arrest of Gavin Newsom amid Los Angeles protests
Fiery Tensions in LA: Trump Calls for Newsom's Arrest Amid Immigration Protests
In the murky waters of California's immigration debate, President Donald Trump has stirred the pot by expressing his desire for the arrest of Governor Gavin Newsom.
Last Sunday, LA witnessed numerous protests against ICE's targeted raids on undocumented immigrants. In response, Trump mobilized around a thousand National Guardmembers to the scene by Monday.
Tom Homan, the border czar, had warned that anyone who impeded federal immigration enforcement, including public officials, would face arrest. Governor Newsom, in an interview on MSNBC, retorted, "Come after me, arrest me. Let's just get it over with, tough guy," referring to Homan.
In a Fox News interview, Homan clarified, "No one's above the law," although he mentioned that there were no plans to arrest Newsom. Trump, when asked about the exchange, chuckled and said, "I would do it if I were Tom. I think it's great."
Newsom later posted on social media, "The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America."
Trump labeled the protesters as "professional agitators" and "insurrectionists," adding that they should be incarcerated. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced plans to sue the Trump administration, claiming the state's sovereignty was compromised by Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard without a formal request from the governor.
This seems to be the first time in decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a request from its governor[2][5]. Newsom also declared his intention to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration for what he deemed an "illegal," "immoral," and "unconstitutional" act.
On his social media platform, Trump claimed that Los Angeles would have been "completely obliterated" without his intervention and that Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass should be grateful. He lambasted them for being untruthful about the necessity of the National Guard troops. Trump wrote:
"The very incompetent 'Governor,' Gavin Newscum, and 'Mayor,' Karen Bass, should be saying, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. WE WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT YOU, SIR'" [1][4].
This explosive situation has shattered the decorum of political discourse and sets a potentially dangerous precedent for future conflicts between federal and state authority.
The legal landscape of this dispute is complex, with California contesting the president's power to deploy the National Guard without a formal request from the governor. The courts have already denied California's request for an emergency order to block Trump's military deployment, allowing it to continue in the meantime [2].
[1] L.A. Times
[2] CNN
[3] Associated Press
[4] The Hill
[5] NBC News
In this volatile political climate, the escalating debate over immigration policies in California has led to a standoff between President Trump and Governor Newsom, with Trump advocating for Newsom's arrest and Newsom countering with legal action against the federal government. This disagreement over federal and state authority could set a dangerous precedent for future war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation related disputes. The general-news media has been actively reporting on this intense political scenario.
