Trump Responds to Newsom Amid Riots
President Donald Trump has pushed back against California Governor Gavin Newsom’s assertions. He stated, quite matter-of-factly, that he hasn’t made recent calls to the governor, but they did speak briefly—about 16 minutes—on Saturday.
During a visit to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Trump mentioned to Fox News that although Newsom didn’t call him first that weekend, they did manage a conversation on Saturday. He commented, “I essentially said, ‘Put his ass in gear’ and told him to stop the out-of-control riots.” He underscored his points by calling Newsom a liar, reiterating, “I said I’ve never called.”
He shared a screenshot showing a call timestamp from June 7 at 1:23 AM. White House Communications Director Stephen Chen also weighed in, declaring that Newsom had ignored his responsibility by letting the riots escalate instead of doing what was necessary to protect Californians.
Earlier that day, Trump held a press event focused on wildfire responses, where he also faced media questions about recent riots in Los Angeles. Responding to a reporter’s comment about an earlier conversation, Trump said, “A day ago, I called him and told him he had to do a better job.” He didn’t hold back, indicating the governor’s handling of the situation was poor.
In turn, Newsom countered Trump’s assertions on social media, stating, “There were no calls, no voicemails. Americans should be worried about who the President is talking to as Marines are deployed on our streets.”
Los Angeles has seen significant unrest since federal immigration officials conducted operations targeting undocumented immigrants. Local leaders including Mayor Karen Bass quickly condemned the federal approach and expressed support for the city’s immigrant population. However, protests turned violent, with rioters clashing with law enforcement.
Trump announced plans to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to help restore order, while US Marines were sent in the following days as the chaos unfolded. On social media, he expressed concern over the situation in Los Angeles, stating that the city was on a troubling path if violence continued unchecked.
