President Donald Trump’s decision to federalize 2,000 California National Guard troops and send them into Los Angeles to put down anti-ICE riots — while also threatening to deploy Marine units — has spurred a furious Democratic backlash.
Democrats are accusing Trump of a “dangerous escalation” of the situation, which they believe was already being handled by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and local law enforcement.
No president has deployed the National Guard without a governor’s consent since 1965. Democrats believe Trump is trying to distract from his own political problems, including the Elon Musk fight.
“Los Angeles Mayor Bass and California Governor Newsom have advised, as of this morning, that there is no unmet law enforcement need in the Los Angeles region,” said Rep. Adam Smith (Wash.), top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee.
Both of California’s Democratic senators, Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, slammed Trump for the National Guard order.
“What he is doing is classic Donald Trump,” Padilla said. “He is trying to deflect and distract.”
The Democratic Governors Association said “threatening to send the U.S. Marines into American neighborhoods undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement.”
Even as California National Guard units were moving into areas affected by violence, Newsom formally requested that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth withdraw the National Guard troops. California officials are also considering legal action against Trump.
But Republicans counter that Trump is doing what it takes to protect ICE officers and other federal law enforcement as the pace of immigration raids in cities nationwide has ramped up. Violent protests have broken out in response to the raids.
Trump went to Truth Social on Sunday night to slam Bass and Newsom:
“Governor Gavin Newscum and ‘Mayor’ Bass should apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots. These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists. Remember, NO MASKS!”
“The president did exactly what he needed to do,” Speaker Mike Johnson said on ABC’s “This Week.” “Gavin Newsom has shown an inability or unwillingness to do what is necessary there, so the president stepped in.”
Trump and other top administration officials even threatened to arrest Bass and Newsom if they interfered with deportation arrests.
“If officials stand in the way of law and order, yeah, they will be arrested,” Trump told reporters Sunday night.
Trump, though, took credit for controlling the violence on Saturday night when the National Guard didn’t even get into Los Angeles until Sunday.
More from the House: House GOP leadership have scheduled votes this week on two resolutions condemning rising anti-semitic violence. One is widely supported, while one is being panned by Democrats as a blatantly partisan move.
The first, authored by Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), has wide backing. The resolution cites a June 1 attack on pro-Israel supporters in Boulder, Colo.; the shooting deaths of two Israeli Embassy staffers on May 21 by a suspect allegedly yelling “Free, free Palestine!”; and the April 13 incendiary attack on the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family were holding a Passover seder.
The second resolution is authored by Colorado GOP Rep. Gabe Evans and focuses on the Boulder incident. Democrats are upset that Republican leaders are moving forward with that resolution instead of a bipartisan resolution by Democratic Rep. Joe Neguse (Colo.), whose district includes Boulder. Democrats complain previous resolutions always involve the member whose district was impacted.
Evans’ resolution plays up the immigration status of Mohammed Sabry Soliman, the suspect in the Boulder attack. Soliman, an Egyptian national, has been in the United States since 2022. Soliman’s U.S. work visa has expired.
