Newsom claims Trump 'chose theatrics over safety' in deploying National Guard to LA

Newsom says Trump 'fanned flames' of LA protests

California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an address to Californians, calling out President Donald Trump for the "commandeering" of National Guard troops and Marines to instigate violence at LA anti-ICE protests.

LOS ANGELES - California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a public address on Tuesday night, accusing President Donald Trump and his administration of intentionally worsening violence at anti-ICE protests in downtown Los Angeles.

The backstory:

Protests have taken over downtown Los Angeles for the last five days, after ICE raids in the area. Thousands of demonstrators have flocked to the federal building in downtown to speak out against the raids. Other protesters briefly blocked the 101 Freeway on Tuesday.

To deal with the protesters, Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.

Violence broke out at several protests, both in downtown LA and in the city of Paramount. Some threw rocks at federal vehicles and destroyed driverless cars; others looted businesses. However, most of the demonstrations have continued to be peaceful.

Trump then deployed another 2,000 National Guard troops as well as hundreds of Marines stationed in Twentynine Palms.

What they're saying:

On Tuesday night, Newsom made an address to Californians, saying that Trump's use of the National Guard caused what were mostly peaceful protests to erupt into violence.

"Donald Trump, without consulting California law enforcement leaders, commandeered 2,000 of our state's National Guard members to deploy on our streets illegally and for no reason," Newsom said. 

He went on to call the President's moves a "brazen abuse of power," and warned that Trump could potentially use the situation in LA to justify deploying the National Guard and the military in other states.

"This isn't just about protests here in Los Angeles. When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state in this nation. 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. Democracy is under assault before our eyes."

The other side:

Trump has repeatedly justified his decision to send in the troops to Los Angeles. 

"If I didn’t 'SEND IN THE TROOPS' to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday, calling Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass "incompetent."

Trump has also referred to the protesters as "insurrectionists" and "foreign invaders" in several social media posts.

In a speech at Fort Bragg on Tuesday, Trump called Los Angeles a "trash heap."

"What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order, and our national sovereignty carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country," Trump said "We're not going to let that happen."

What's next:

Newsom has sued the Trump administration, saying that Trump was illegally using the military to attack citizens. On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked Newsom's attempted restraining order to stop the troops' deployment. 

The judge has scheduled a hearing for Thursday afternoon to look at California's request for a restraining order.