Newsom Criticizes Trump Over National Guard Deployment
California Governor Gavin Newsom took aim at President Trump in a video address late Tuesday, responding to the deployment of thousands of National Guard soldiers and Marines in Los Angeles to manage immigrant protests.
Newsom pointed out that while California is accustomed to immigration enforcement, the current administration is not targeting illegal immigrants with criminal backgrounds or deportation orders. Instead, he argued, they are “indiscriminately targeting hard-working immigrant families, regardless of their roots or risks.”
In his message, Newsom urged Trump and others to refrain from increasing the number of federal troops in the city, expressing concern that such actions could escalate tensions. “This bold misuse of power by a sitting president has only heightened an already volatile situation,” he stated.
He elaborated, saying, “The downward spiral started when he ramped up the deployment of the dangerous National Guard, fueling the situation even further. And the president did that on purpose.”
The Trump administration has criticized Newsom as being ill-equipped to manage the protests and has accused him of inciting violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Trump asserted on Wednesday, “The incompetent governors of California have failed to protect our ICE officers, who are great patriots, as they are attacked by an unruly mob of agitators.”
White House Communications Director Stephen Chan also joined in the criticism, suggesting in a post that Newsom must have hired failed campaign strategists, implying that Newsom’s claims about threats to democracy were exaggerated.
Newsom contended that since the soldiers’ arrival, tensions among protesters have only intensified. He remarked, “Trump is deploying military resources across LA, far beyond his stated intent of targeting serious criminals. His agents are arresting dishwashers, gardeners, day workers, tailors. It’s pure weakness. It amplifies weakness, not strength.”
The governor added that Trump’s administration seems more interested in harming the community than protecting it. “They’re not looking out for us; they’re causing harm, and that appears to be the goal,” he remarked.
Furthermore, Newsom is pursuing legal action against the Trump administration regarding the deployment of the state’s National Guard. A scheduled hearing on Thursday follows a judge’s dismissal of Newsom’s emergency requests that aimed to limit military deployments and allow time for both sides to present evidence.
In response, Trump defended his actions, stating, “If our troops hadn’t gone to Los Angeles, it would be burning to the ground, just like many of their homes. The good people in Los Angeles are incredibly lucky I decided to step in and help!”
