House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Tuesday that there’s a “clear distinction” between the January 6, 2021, siege on the U.S. Capitol and the widespread demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles.
The Context
The protests in Los Angeles erupted after ICE raided a number of downtown neighborhoods with high immigrant populations and labor-intensive industries.
More than 50 people have been arrested in the raids and five Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers have been injured amid the protests, officials said.
Though the demonstrations have been largely peaceful, some have devolved into violence, with people throwing rocks, Molotov cocktails, cement and other items at law enforcement. The LAPD said Tuesday afternoon that it has started making arrests.
President Donald Trump and other administration officials have taken a hard-line stance against the protests, accusing demonstrators of engaging in a “rebellion” and saying some of the protests look like an “insurrection.”
Trump on Monday deployed 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles against the wishes of California Governor Gavin Newsom. He has also mobilized 700 Marines to quell the demonstrations, which both Newsom and local officials have said will further fuel tensions.
What To Know
CNN’s Manu Raju asked Johnson whether he thinks it’s “hypocritical” for Trump to condemn the anti-ICE protesters in Los Angeles for clashing with law enforcement when Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of everyone charged in the deadly Capitol riot, many of whom were convicted of beating or impeding law enforcement.
“Look, no, I think there’s a clear distinction between those two,” Johnson said. “We’ve seen what’s happened in L.A. in the early ’90s and other times, when these things get out of control … you have to stay on top of that and you cannot let it get out of control.”
Johnson was referring to the deadly 1992 riots that broke out after a jury acquitted four police officers accused of brutally beating Black motorist Rodney King after a high-speed chase.
In all, 63 people died in the ’92 riots, including nine who were shot by police. Property damages were estimated at around $500 million. No one has died in the 2025 skirmishes between anti-ICE protesters and law enforcement officials and relatively few buildings and businesses have been damaged.
“But what’s the difference between the violent protesters on January 6 [and anti-ICE demonstrators]?” Raju pressed the House speaker.
“Everybody wants me to relitigate January 6, I’m not going to do that,” Johnson said. “There’s a very clear distinction between the two. People who broke the law and destroyed property [on January 6] were met with the proper consequences on that.”
He added that the government has to be “consistent” on that issue in Los Angeles, before turning to walk away.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune was also asked about Trump’s “inconsistency” on the anti-ICE demonstrations and January 6 siege.
“Do you see any inconsistency when the president criticizes or condemns the violent Los Angeles protesters but then pardons the violent January 6 protesters?” a reporter asked the South Dakota Republican.
Thune dodged the question, saying, “I think the issue that’s in front of us right now is the chaos in L.A.”
“And clearly the local officials there, for whatever reason, didn’t seem up to the task of getting the job done there,” he added.
Newsom, local officials and the LAPD have all rebuffed that claim, saying they had the protests under control until Trump deployed the National Guard and mobilized the Marines to crack down on the demonstrations, which led to more unrest.
What People Are Saying
Trump mentioned the L.A. demonstrations at Fort Bragg on Tuesday: “What you’re witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and on national sovereignty, carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country. We’re not going to let that happen.”
“They’re hurling bricks and cinder blocks at law enforcement … These guys are professionals, these are not amateurs,” he said, adding that “our soldiers” were “aggressive” in responding to the protesters.
Newsom posted to X on Tuesday: “I just filed an emergency motion in court to immediately block the ongoing and unnecessary militarization of Los Angeles. The federal government is turning the military against American citizens. This is unprecedented and threatens the very core of our democracy.”
What Happens Next
California and Newsom are suing Trump and the administration, aiming to rescind the National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles, while accusing the president of an “unprecedented power grab.”
The Golden State asked a federal judge on Tuesday to issue an immediate restraining order to block Trump from using the military to clamp down on the protests, but the judge declined the request and set a hearing for Thursday.
Update 6/10/25, 6:52 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and context.
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