President Trump commented early Monday on the situation in Los Angeles, where there were calls to involve the military, stating, “it looks really bad.” He made this remark in a post on his social platform, Truth Social, just after midnight.
In his message, Trump mentioned that over 2,000 members of the National Guard have been deployed, with about 300 already present in Los Angeles by Sunday noon. This move to federalize the California State Guard is seen as unusual and carries legal uncertainties, particularly since it bypasses California Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent.
The role of the National Guard is somewhat limited, primarily focusing on protecting federal properties, such as the downtown Los Angeles Detention Center, which is a focal point of the ongoing unrest.
As tensions escalated over the weekend, clashes occurred between protesters and the police, leading to multiple arrests in an effort to manage the demonstrations. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell described his officers as “overwhelmed” by the protests, a point that was highlighted in news reports.
Trump seemed to reference these statements in his early Monday comments, noting that Chief McDonnell mentioned the need to reassess the situation due to the aggressive nature of the protesters. In his post, Trump urged, “Don’t let these thugs get away with this. Make America great again!”
Furthermore, Trump called for the arrest of protesters who were wearing masks, asserting, “Arrest people with face masks now!” During a conversation with reporters before boarding Air Force One on Sunday, he didn’t dismiss the possibility of invoking the Rebellion Act, although he suggested that the ongoing protests were not yet classified as a rebellion.
As he prepared for a meeting at Camp David on a “very major subject,” Trump indicated he would be meeting various figures, including admirals and a general, though he refrained from detailing the nature of the discussions or whether foreign officials would be involved.
Following his earlier remarks, Trump issued another statement on Truth Social, claiming a “violent, rebel mob is swarming and attacking our federal agents and trying to stop deportation operations.”
