President Trump has threatened to arrest California officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, over comments on undocumented immigrants.
During the second night of protests in Los Angeles County, some of which turned violent against ICE’s arrests of undocumented immigrants, Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, suggested that he would put Newsom and Bass in handcuffs if they interfered with federal operations.
“I’ll say it about anybody,” Homan said when asked if his threat included state officials like Newsom and Bass. “If you cross that line, it’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to obstruct law enforcement in their duties.”
Newsom reacted angrily, calling Homan a “tough guy” on camera Sunday night and challenging, “Go ahead and arrest me, let’s go.”
This exchange occurred as Trump federalized California’s National Guard troops and sent them to Los Angeles to manage the protests.
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When asked on the White House lawn about Newsom’s challenge to Homan and whether Homan should arrest the governor, Trump replied, “I would do it if I were Tom, I think it’s great.”
Trump further stated, “He’s done a terrible job. I like Gavin Newsom, he’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent.”
Trump also criticized the protesters, saying, “The people causing the problem are professional agitators, they’re insurrectionists, they’re bad people, they should be in jail. Thank you.”
In response, Newsom posted on X, “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.”
