California Governor Gavin Newsom gave a 15-minute interview to MSNBC in which he repeatedly called President Donald Trump a “liar” who is using the protests around ICE migrant raids in Los Angeles to “exacerbate” a situation and assert authoritarian control through the “unconstitutional” mobilization of National Guard troops to the area.
Calling Trump the “Commander of Chaos,” Newsom said that before Trump’s mobilization move, “local law enforcement had no needs — they were not requesting any additional resources. I’ve got a hundred now. I’ve got 175 CHP officers, technically trained officers, tactical teams, to address Donald Trump’s mess.”
Trump’s border czar is threatening to arrest me for speaking out.
Come and get me, tough guy.
I don’t give a damn.
It won’t stop me from standing up for California.pic.twitter.com/DvVQljAgir
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 9, 2025
Newsom said Trump’s action was plainly illegal, as legally a governor would have to request National Guard support in order for the President to send troops to help local law enforcement.
That is, unless the situation was deemed to be an insurrection, in which case the President could assume unilateral power through the Insurrection Act.
Gov. Newsom tells President Trump to ‘stand down’ amid L.A. protests https://t.co/6huY1ienD9 via @YouTube
— 2paragraphs (@2paragraphs) June 9, 2025
[Newsom acknowledged that there are bad actors among the peaceful protestors, bad actors who are damaging property and confronting law enforcement. “Some of them,” Newsom said, “who want that kind of chaos — in some ways they’re adjacent to where Donald Trump is.”
Newsom also warned that by presenting the opportunity to justify the Trump administration’s authoritarian reaction, these criminal chaos agents are “potentially damaging the very foundation of our republic.”]
Yet despite these bad actors, no such crisis rising to the level of insurrection exists, Newsom asserts, despite rhetoric from the White House — notably from policy chief Stephen Miller — indicating that the protests in Los Angeles represent an “insurrection.”
Yet Trump himself has acknowledged, in video from 2020 being recirculated widely today, that there was “no reason to ever” use the Insurrection Act as justification to call in the National Guard.
Trump in 2020: We have to go by the laws. We can’t move in the National Guard. I can call insurrection but there’s no reason to ever do that, even in a Portland case.
We can’t call in the National Guard unless we’re requested by a governor. pic.twitter.com/0sTAa9CiCX— Acyn (@Acyn) June 9, 2025
Notably, Trump tells ABC’s George Stephanopoulos: “Look, we have laws. We have to go by the laws. We can’t move in the National Guard. I can call insurrection but there’s no reason to ever do that.”
Trump adds: “We can’t call in the National Guard unless we’re requested by a governor.”
In September 2020, Trump said he couldn’t move the National Guard into Democratic-run cities without the governor’s approval.
He also said of invoking the Insurrection Act: “There’s no reason to ever do that, even in a Portland case.” pic.twitter.com/NfULNjYDDa
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) June 9, 2025