California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that he plans to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration regarding the deployment of the National Guard to manage protests in Los Angeles related to federal immigration policies.
In an MSNBC interview on Sunday evening, Newsom explained that the lawsuit challenges Trump’s decision to federalize the California National Guard without state approval.
“Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your screens tonight. He’s made things worse; he’s lit a fire under the situation,” he said.
“And I’m going to put that theory to the test with this lawsuit tomorrow,” he added.
When asked for more details about the lawsuit, Newsom expressed concerns that under Trump’s executive order, the Department of Defense should have coordinated with state governors, which never happened in this case.
“I’ve previously called on the National Guard for various emergencies, and we’re generally fine with that. We work collaboratively with local law enforcement. But there’s a protocol—he ignored that completely,” Newsom remarked.
He pointed out a recent social media post by Trump that claimed the National Guard had performed well. Newsom noted that the Guard had not even been deployed at that point.
“It’s Orwellian; it’s just misleading the public, and it’s unconstitutional. It’s a mess that we’re trying to clean up,” he stated.
Later in the interview, Newsom responded to comments made by Borderland figure Tom Homann, who suggested that arresting Newsom or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could be an option if they interfered with federal actions.
“Come after me and arrest me; let’s see what that looks like. I really don’t care about the tough talk. What I do care about is my community,” Newsom said. “These officials really need to take a step back. So, Tom, if you want to arrest me, bring it on.”
