California&rsquo;s Governor sues over National Guard deployment as Trump threatens arrest
A fierce political and constitutional showdown has erupted between President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom, as tensions mount over federal intervention in protests targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Los Angeles.
The dispute took an extraordinary turn after Trump endorsed the arrest of Governor Newsom by his border security adviser Tom Homan, who had earlier warned that any interference with enforcement efforts&mdash;including by public officials&mdash;could result in legal action. &ldquo;I would do it if I were Tom,&rdquo; Trump remarked from the White House. &ldquo;Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing.&rdquo;
Newsom, a prominent Democrat widely seen as a likely presidential contender in 2028, denounced the comment as a &ldquo;clear step toward authoritarianism&rdquo; and an affront to democratic norms. He described the moment as one he "hoped never to see in America"&mdash;a sitting U.S. President calling for the arrest of a serving state governor.
This escalating feud comes against the backdrop of Trump&rsquo;s decision to deploy National Guard troops to Southern California in response to ongoing demonstrations, which he labelled &ldquo;insurrectionist mobs&rdquo; allegedly incited by &ldquo;Gavin Newscum.&rdquo; The protests, which have included demands to dismantle ICE operations, have been largely concentrated in Los Angeles, where local officials have resisted federal involvement.
Newsom, asserting state sovereignty, announced legal action against the federal government, arguing that Trump&rsquo;s move to federalise the Guard was unconstitutional and an overreach of executive power. &ldquo;This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted,&rdquo; he wrote on social media. &ldquo;He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard.&rdquo;
Trump, when pressed by reporters about what law Newsom had violated, responded flippantly, stating the governor&rsquo;s &ldquo;primary crime is running for governor because he&rsquo;s done such a bad job.&rdquo; Newsom fired back, accusing Trump of admitting he would use the justice system to punish political opponents.
The conflict highlights deep divisions in American federalism, pitting a state asserting its autonomy against a president leveraging federal authority. It also reinforces Trump&rsquo;s combative posture toward Democratic-led states&mdash;particularly California&mdash;which he has repeatedly accused of fostering lawlessness.
As legal battles loom and political rhetoric intensifies, the episode underscores the increasingly blurred lines between governance, law enforcement, and electoral ambition in modern American politics.

California riots A crisis conference and police action against rioters were presided over by Governor Gavin Newsom (image source: social media)

Legal, political battle intensifies as Trump backs Newsom's arrest over protest crackdown

Trump, Newsom Clash Over National Guard Action

Legal, political battle intensifies as Trump backs Newsom's arrest over protest crackdown

June 10, 2025 | 06:03 IST