Donald Trump said he backs the arrest of Gavin Newsom as the California Governor vows to sue the President over the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles without his permission.
It follows Trump's deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles after "violent protests that threaten the security and cause significant damage to Federal immigration detention facilities and other Federal property".
“If it came to it, I’d do it,” Trump said, responding to Newsom’s challenge daring the administration to arrest him.
“I like Gavin — he’s a nice guy — but he’s totally incompetent. Everyone knows it,” the president added bluntly.
Donald Trump's administration is set to be sued by California Governor Gavin Newsom over the deployment of the National Guard without his permission
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The Governor of California repeated the vow of legal action, claiming that the US President was "flaming the fires".
Writing on X, Newsom said: "This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalise the National Guard. The order he signed doesn’t just apply to [California].
"It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing. We’re suing him."
Newsom previously said that the deployment was an "unconstitutional act, and we're going to test that theory with a lawsuit tomorrow."
Earlier today, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Newsom of being "too weak to protect the city" and standing by as government officials and federal law enforcement officers were "attacked by violent radicals and illegal criminals."
In a post on X, Leavitt said the California governor "did nothing as violent riots erupted in Los Angeles for days."
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The riots were sparked following the arrests of more than a dozen people, accused of impeding immigration agents
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Days of unrest in the western US State saw local police use tear gas, stun guns, and riot shields in a bid to control protestors.
The riots were sparked following the arrests of more than a dozen people, accused of impeding immigration agents.
Protesters have also been spotted setting off fireworks and breaking up cinder blocks to throw at Border Patrol vans.
The deployment of the National Guard was previously enforced in 1992 when then-President George H W Bush used the Insurrection Act, which gives the president the power to use US military personnel domestically to assist civilian authorities, to deploy the Marines.
Protestors confront a line of police officers during a rally against ICE's Deportation in San Francisco
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Doubling down on his decision to send in the troops, Trump said he will, "not let this country be torn apart", citing "law and order".
He said: "Well, we're going to have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country. We're not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.
"And if we see danger to our country and to our citizens, and we'll be very, very strong in terms of law and order, it's about law and order. Nobody's going to spit on our police officers. Nobody's going to spit on our military."
GB News understands that today's protests are now under control.
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