California Democrats pushed back after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to respond to anti-immigration raid protests in the Los Angeles area, with Gov. Gavin Newsom arguing that Trump is trying to “manufacture a crisis.”
“Trump is sending 2,000 National Guard troops into LA County — not to meet an unmet need, but to manufacture a crisis. He’s hoping for chaos so he can justify more crackdowns, more fear, more control,” Newsom said in a Sunday post on X, where he also urged people to “stay peaceful.”
Newsom’s comments come after Trump deployed the National Guard despite the governor’s opposition. Guard soldiers can be deployed by governors or the federal government, though it is unusual for a president to call the National Guard into federal service in a state where the governor objects, according to experts.
Several California Democrats criticized the administration’s response to the Los Angeles protests as “inflammatory,” “reckless” and escalatory.
The administration has painted the White House’s response to what it calls “left-wing radicals” as an effort to maintain law and order. At the same time, Democrats feared the administration’s response could ratchet up tensions, ultimately inflaming the situation rather than subduing it. The two sides’ disagreement also comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that active-duty Marines would be mobilized “if violence continues.”
Democratic Rep. Ted Lieu, who represents a Los Angeles-area district, said in a post to X that he agreed with Newsom’s assessment that “Trump’s take over of the CA National Guard is purposefully inflammatory.”
Rep. Nanette Barragán, a Democrat who also represents a Los Angeles-area district, also condemned the deployment of the National Guard, which took place over Newsom’s objections.
“We haven’t asked for the help. We don’t need the help. This is him escalating it, causing tensions to rise,” Barragán said of Trump in an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “It’s only going to make things worse in a situation where people are already angry over immigration enforcement.”
Protesters and law enforcement clashed on Saturday, with some protesters throwing objects and law enforcement deploying pepper balls and flash-bangs. Videos also showed looting and a car on fire. Protests initially began in response to immigration enforcement operations as the Trump administration has made mass deportations a centerpiece of its domestic policy.
The political fallout was along party lines, with Republican lawmakers criticizing the protests and Democrats pushing against the White House’s response. In an overnight post to Truth Social, Trump praised the National Guard’s actions in Los Angeles, though the National Guard had not yet arrived in the city at the time of his post, Newsom pointed out.
National Guard troops began arriving in Los Angeles on Sunday.
On Sunday, a group of California Democrats said they went to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing facility to “conduct Congressional oversight,” but were denied entry. One of the lawmakers in the group, Rep. Gil Cisneros, characterized ICE as having been “on a rampage going through Los Angeles, just rounding up people.”
White House representatives did not immediately respond to questions about Democrats’ criticism, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a post Saturday night that “Democrats refuse to condemn this despicable behavior but this will NOT be tolerated by the Trump Administration.”
Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller appeared to be referencing the protests in a post to X, saying, “We’ve been saying for years this is a fight to save civilization. Anyone with eyes can see that now.”
Additional protests are planned on Sunday.
House Speaker Mike Johnson responded on Sunday to a question about Hegseth floating the deployment of active-duty Marines in response to the protest.
Johnson emphasized on ABC News’ “This Week” the importance of “maintaining peace through strength,” adding, “I don’t think that’s heavy-handed. I think that’s an important signal.”
When ABC News co-anchor Jonathan Karl interjected to push Johnson further, Johnson said that “we have to be prepared to do what is necessary.”
“I think the notice that that might happen might have the deterring effect,” Johnson said of Hegseth’s warning.
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