In a shocking escalation of federal-state conflict, President Donald Trump suggested that California Governor Gavin Newsom should be arrested.
The incendiary remark came amid ongoing protests in Los Angeles sparked by controversial ICE raids and Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops. Newsom declared Trump’s acts “illegal” and vowed to challenge them in court.
Why Trump is targeting Newsom
The clash has deep roots in immigration politics. Following ICE-led raids in Los Angeles targeting undocumented individuals, massive protests erupted. Federal authorities responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and mass arrests. Trump accused local leaders of being “weak” and failing to protect federal officers. Trump also portrayed demonstrators as “professional agitators” and “insurrectionists” who “should be in jail.”
On June 7, Trump ordered approximately 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles. That’s an unprecedented act since 1965 that bypassed state permission. This prompted Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta to file a lawsuit accusing Trump of unlawfully federalizing California’s National Guard in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.
Trump doubles down on arrest rhetoric
Trump didn’t stop at troop deployment. As Axios reports, when asked if White House if border czar Tom Homan should arrest Newsom, Trump replied bluntly, “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity…he’s done a terrible job.”
Perhaps most surprising of all, Trump added that while Newsom is “a nice guy,” he is also “grossly incompetent” and deserves to be arrested for his handling of the crisis.
Newsom’s defiant reaction
Unimpressed, Governor Newsom took to X to strike back: “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. … this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”
In this moment, Newsom framed Trump’s demand as an alarming threat to democratic norms, warning that any president using federal power to criminalize a state governor crosses a dangerous line.
The situation in Los Angeles
Los Angeles has become a hotbed of protest. ICE raids followed by harsh crackdown—tear gas, rubber bullets, and multiple arrests—ignited anger among immigrant communities, local leaders, and civil rights advocates. Reports indicate that at least 100 protesters were detained and several officers injured as tensions boiled over.
Mayor Karen Bass echoed Newsom’s condemnation, describing these tactics as terrorizing to LA’s immigrant communities and decrying the federal response as unjustified and inflammatory.
What’s next?
California is set to sue the federal government to block Trump’s troop deployment and take legal action over the unprecedented National Guard federalization. Newsom and the state’s legal team argue that Trump’s actions overstep constitutional bounds.
Meanwhile, the political tone has shifted dramatically. A president suggesting a governor’s arrest represents a troubling pivot toward authoritarianism—one that Newsom and others warn could endanger the very principle of state sovereignty.
