Blue state governors slam Trump’s efforts to quell the violence in LA

by Deported.news Staff | June 10, 2025

The nation’s Democratic governors are rallying around California Governor and fellow Democrat Gavin Newsom, claiming President Donald Trump’s effort to quell violent anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement riots in Los Angeles over the weekend is “an alarming abuse of power” that’s “ineffective and dangerous.”

In a “Statement from Democratic Governors on Donald Trump’s Use of California’s National Guard” posted to X by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday, Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined with her fellow blue state leaders to condemn the 47th POTUS.

“Every single Democratic Governor agrees: Donald Trump’s attempts to militarize California are an alarming abuse of power,” Newsom wrote.

“Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guard and the federal government activating them in their own borders without consulting or working with a state’s governor is ineffective and dangerous,” the statement read.

“Further, threatening to send the U.S. Marines into American neighborhoods undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement,” it continued.

“It’s important we respect the executive authority of our country’s governors to manage their National Guards – and we stand with Governor Newsom who has made it clear that violence is unacceptable and that local authorities should be able to do their jobs without the chaos of this federal interference and intimidation.”

Folks online responded by posting images of “Gavin Newsom’s California” that included a masked vigilante on a dirt bike waving a Mexican flag as police stand by, along with video of criminals hurling rocks at Border Patrol and ICE vehicles driving through the streets.

Other video posted online shows LAPD officers surrounded by agitators on Saturday as they attempted to control the situation at the LA federal building.

“They threw glass bottles and even smashed a police cruiser windshield,” Cam Higby, a journalist on scene, posted to X.

California Assemblywoman Kate Sanchez, R-Trabuco Canyon, noted “Governor Newsom is FUNDRAISING off the LA riots over illegal immigration” in a post to X that included an image of the governor’s solicitation.

The riots started on Friday in response to federal immigration raids in multiple locations that netted dozens of illegal immigrants as part of the largest deportation effort in U.S. history.

The melee included masked vigilantes setting vehicles ablaze, hurling rocks and attacking federal agents and police, slashing tires, blocking highways and defacing federal buildings. ICE officials report agents were initially trapped in some locations by over 1,000 protestors for hours without a police response.

Despite the violent opposition, ICE agents arrested at least 118 illegal immigrants by Saturday, including five gang members, with prior criminal histories that included drug trafficking, assault, cruelty to children, domestic violence, and alien smuggling, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.

“Make no mistake, Democrat politicians like Hakeem Jeffries, Mayor (Michelle) Wu of Boston, Tim Walz, and Mayor (Karen) Bass of Los Angeles are contributing to the surge in assaults of our ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonization of ICE,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “From comparisons to the modern-day Nazi gestapo to glorifying rioters, the violent rhetoric of these sanctuary politicians is beyond the pale. This violence against ICE must end.”

Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Saturday to deploy the National Guard over Newsom’s objections in an effort to “temporarily protect ICE and other United States Government personnel who are performing Federal functions” as well as federal property, CNN reports.

Trump promised his administration would “solve the problem, RIOTERS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!” in a post to Truth Social, vowing to send U.S. Marines next, if necessary.

The violence continued through Sunday, as about 300 members of the National Guard arrived in the city, and Newsom vowed to sue the Trump administration for sending the soldiers without his explicit permission, BBC reports.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, also intervened on Sunday, when she taunted National Guard troops Trump sent to keep her safe.

“What are you going to do, you gonna shoot some kid?” Waters shouted at troops in video posted by Fox News. “You gonna shoot an elected official? If you shoot me you better shoot straight.”

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell held a press conference late Sunday to condemn the “disgusting” violence directed toward his “overwhelmed” officers in the city, according to Fox News.

“We’ve seen people with hammers … breaking the bollards behind the federal building and taking rocks. If you will, or pieces of concrete and throwing them at officers,” McDonnell said, noting some have launched deadly commercial grade fireworks at police. “We had liquid of who knows what description thrown at officers. Thee’s no limit to what they’re doing to our officers.”

Other local law enforcement leaders, meanwhile, are calling out Democrats including former Vice President Kamala Harris, who alleged “deploying the National Guard is a dangerous escalation meant to provoke crisis,” according to the New York Post.

“President Trump didn’t start these riots. He’s not out there lighting cars on fire, hurling projectiles at law enforcement or blocking freeways,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco posted to X with a link to Harris’ remarks.

“This statement is an embarrassment and does nothing to diffuse the violent riots taking place across the city,” he wrote. “The Democrats and their ‘leaders’ own this.”

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