Donald Trump & Gavin Newsom (Photo Credits: Twitter)
President Donald Trump suggested on Sunday that his border czar, Tom Homan, should arrest California Governor Gavin Newsom, escalating tensions between the federal government and the state over protests which are linked to immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.
“I would do it… I think it would be a great thing,” Trump said, referring to Homan. He accused Newsom of being “grossly incompetent” and also blamed him for the ongoing unrest and violent protests in the city. The statement came after the Trump administration deployed National Guard troops to California without having the governor’s consent.
Governor Newsom responded to the president’s call for his arrest, writing on X, “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.” He added, “This is a line we cannot cross as a nation, this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta also pushed back, calling Trump’s remarks “more talk, more bluff, more bluster, more threats.” He defended the state’s position, saying that “States have rights. States can do lawful things.” Bonta also accused the Trump administration of frequently violating the law, not Governor Newsom. “This is what the Trump administration does,” he said.
The president does have the authority to federalize National Guard troops, but those troops cannot be used for civilian law enforcement unless the Insurrection Act is invoked, which is a step that Trump has not taken yet, reported USA Today. Newsom had said that the state will sue the administration, claiming the deployment was illegal.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Monday that the state will file a federal lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to federalize the California National Guard. Bonta called the move “unlawful” during a virtual press conference.
Homan, who is a former acting ICE director and now Trump’s immigration adviser, previously said that he would not rule out arresting state or local officials who interfere with federal enforcement, reported USA Today. Newsom had challenged him earlier in a post, writing, “Come and get me, tough guy.”
