President deploys National Guard as California leaders downplay violent attacks on federal officers.
President Donald Trump has taken decisive action to restore order in Los Angeles, deploying the National Guard to suppress a wave of violent anti-immigration enforcement riots that erupted over the weekend. As chaos engulfed the streets, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass appeared more concerned with criticizing federal action than protecting citizens and law enforcement.
Beginning Friday, protesters launched aggressive demonstrations targeting federal immigration enforcement in downtown Los Angeles. By Sunday, at Trump’s direction, 300 members of California’s 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were mobilized to shield federal officers and facilities. The President promised up to 2,000 troops to ensure law and order returned to the city.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated the seriousness of the situation, announcing that active-duty Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton stood ready to support the National Guard if needed.
Despite escalating violence—including assaults on federal officers, vandalism, and looting—Governor Newsom sharply criticized the military deployment. He called the potential use of Marines on U.S. soil “deranged behavior.” His office went so far as to mock the riots, comparing them to sports celebrations. “LA riots? Have these geniuses ever seen what happens when the Eagles win a playoff game?” quipped Newsom’s communications director, Izzy Gardon.
Newsom dismissed the President’s response as political theater, claiming Trump was trying to “manufacture a crisis” to “justify more crackdowns, more fear, more control.” This rhetoric came even as Homeland Security confirmed that approximately 800 protesters had surrounded and breached a federal law enforcement building, attacking ICE officers, slashing tires, and defacing property.
Riots intensified with protesters throwing rocks and eggs at law enforcement, looting a gas station, and even setting a vehicle ablaze. Law enforcement was forced to deploy tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse the increasingly violent crowd.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt condemned California’s Democratic leadership, stating, “In the wake of this violence, California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens.”
Governor Newsom, undeterred by the violence, insisted via social media that Los Angeles authorities had the situation under control. “LA authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice,” he wrote.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass doubled down, voicing outrage—not at the violent rioters—but at federal immigration enforcement. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city,” she said, while pledging loyalty to immigrant advocacy groups.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons didn’t mince words in his rebuke of local officials, holding them accountable for failing to maintain order. “What took place in Los Angeles yesterday was appalling. As rioters attacked federal law enforcement officers on the LA streets, Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement,” Lyons stated.
Since the deployment of the National Guard on Sunday, tensions have significantly cooled, and protesters have largely dispersed or returned to peaceful demonstrations.
