Trump threatens detainment of California governor

President Donald Trump has made radical threats to California Governor Gavin Newsom, promising his arrest.

President Trump and Governor Newsom.

Trump made a public statement on Monday urging for the governor's arrest, pledging that it would be a "great thing" for him to be detained by federal forces. When ABC News asked why in particular Newsom is guilty of breaking the law, Trump stated, "...primary crime is running for governor because he's done such a bad job." On the social media platform X, Newsom responded to Trump's comments by stating, "Donald Trump admits he will arrest a sitting governor simply because he ran for office..." He added, "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. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism."

Trump not only fired at the governor, but also local officials, like Mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass. Trump stated on Truth Social, "The very incompetent 'Governor,' Gavin Newscum, and 'Mayor,' Karen Bass, should be saying, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. WE WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT YOU, SIR.'Instead, they choose to lie to the People of California and America by saying that we weren't needed, and that these are 'peaceful protests.'"

What protests the president is referring to are the anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement protests in Los Angeles ahead of heightened deportations in Southern California. The president ordered 700 marines to be deployed to California with national guard soldiers expected to come along the way. This happened after he made threats of detainment to Newsom. Yet, the president could still not invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow federal troops to intervene in civilian law enforcement. Democrats labeled the president's unbacked mobilization of troops as an unnecessary provocation.

Trump took it to his own hands to justify the action, raising fears that the protests could become violent as anti-ICE resentment worsens.