Newsom says Los Angeles rioters will be prosecuted, slams Trump for 'traumatizing our communities'
Share and Follow

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, on Tuesday said anti-ICE protesters who engage in violence will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law while also criticizing President Donald Trump for a “brazen abuse of power” in sending troops to respond to demonstrations.

Newsom said during a news address that 220 people have already been arrested in connection with the Los Angeles riots and that officials are reviewing footage to build additional cases.

The governor also thanked individuals who protested peacefully during demonstrations against deportations and ICE raids on migrant workers at local businesses.

Peaceful assembly is not what Trump wanted, the governor said, accusing the president of choosing “escalation,” “more force” and “theatrics over public safety.”

Trump in Oval Office

The Trump administration has moved to deploy thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of active-duty Marines to Los Angeles. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“Just yesterday, we filed a legal challenge to Donald Trump’s reckless deployment of American troops to a major American city,” the governor said Tuesday. “Today, we sought an emergency court order to stop the use of the American military to engage in law enforcement activities across Los Angeles.”

The governor said if some people could be snatched off the streets without a warrant based only on suspicion or skin color, then nobody is safe.

“Trump and his loyalists, they thrive on division because it allows them to take more power and exert even more control,” he said. “And by the way, Trump, he’s not opposed to lawlessness and violence as long as it serves him. What more evidence do we need than January 6th?”

Newsom also cited border czar Tom Homan’s threat to arrest him for alleged immigration interference, an idea Trump later endorsed, saying Newsom’s “primary crime was running for governor because he’s done such a bad job.”

“He’s calling for a sitting governor to be arrested for no other reason than, in his own words, for getting elected,” Newsom said of Trump.

The governor had previously dared Homan to make good on his threat, saying “arrest me” and “come and get me, tough guy.” But Homan eventually backed down, admitting that Newsom had not done anything to warrant his arrest.

National Guard

California has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the federal deployment of National Guard troops. (Getty Images)

Newsom concluded his remarks on Tuesday by warning that Trump’s actions he says threaten state sovereignty and democracy are not exclusive to California.

“When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state in this nation,” Newsom said. “This is about all of us. This is about you. California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next to moxie is under assault. Before our eyes, this moment we have feared has arrived. He’s taking a wrecking ball. A wrecking ball to our Founding Fathers’ historic project.”

“If you exercise your First Amendment rights, please, please do it peacefully,” he continued. “I know many of you are feeling deep anxiety, stress and fear, but I want you to know that you are the antidote to that fear and that anxiety. What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence to be complicit in this moment. Do not give in to him.”

Share and Follow
You May Also Like
Texas teenager's final words before she left home and vanished

Texas Teen’s Mysterious Disappearance: Last Words Before Leaving Home Spark Concern

A Texas teenager, missing since Christmas Eve, expressed her love to her…
Texas father rescues kidnapped daughter by tracing her phone's location, sheriff's office says

Texas Dad Tracks Down Kidnapped Daughter Using Her Phone’s Location, Authorities Report

In a dramatic rescue in Texas, a father managed to locate and…
Valencia soccer coach Fernando Martin, his three kids dead after boat sinks in Indonesia

Tragic Loss: Valencia Coach Fernando Martin and Three Children Perish in Indonesian Boat Accident

Tragedy struck Valencia CF as coach Fernando Martin and three members of…
Pop-Tarts Bowl features shenanigans and mascot sacrifices following BYU win

BYU Victory at Pop-Tarts Bowl Brings Unexpected Mascot Antics and Surprises

The postgame scene at the Pop-Tarts Bowl was a mix of quirky…
Brigitte Bardot, 1960s sultry sex symbol turned militant animal rights activist dies at 91, starred in 'And God Created Woman'

Renowned 1960s Icon and Animal Rights Advocate Brigitte Bardot, Star of ‘And God Created Woman,’ Passes Away at 91

PARIS — Brigitte Bardot, the iconic French actress of the 1960s who…
Chicago crime: Police department warns of fake rideshare driver accused of sexual assault incidents in Old Town, Gold Coast

Giovanni Rosales Espinoza Apprehended and Charged with Aggravated Kidnapping in Porter, Texas, Reports MCSO

In a disturbing incident on Christmas Day, a Texas man has been…
Nigerian villagers in Jabo are rattled by US airstrikes that made their homes shake and the sky glow red

US Airstrikes Leave Jabo Villagers in Shock: Homes Tremble and Skies Turn Red in Nigeria

In the tranquil village of Jabo, Nigeria, 40-year-old farmer Sanusi Madabo was…
The Southern city defying America's housing market collapse

Southern City’s Resilient Housing Market Defies National Downturn

Once overshadowed by more prominent Southern cities such as Charleston, Atlanta, and…