President Trump said on Monday that he would support the arrest of California Governor Gavin Newsom after Newsom challenged the White House’s border czar to take such action amid protests in Los Angeles focused on immigration. Returning to the White House from Camp David, Trump was asked if Tom Homan should arrest Newsom following weekend calls for it during the protests sparked by immigration raids. “If I were Tom, I would do it,” Trump said. “I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity, but it would be a great thing.” Trump added, “I like Gavin Newsom. He’s a nice guy. But he’s grossly incompetent.”
Newsom quickly responded on social media, calling the arrest threat an “unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.” He posted on X, “The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican, this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”
Tensions have escalated between the Trump administration and California officials, including Newsom, over how to handle protests in Los Angeles against immigration enforcement. Recent protests have sometimes turned violent, with burning vehicles and clashes with police, which White House officials say show the situation spiraling out of control. Newsom announced plans for the state to sue the Trump administration for deploying the National Guard without his consent, arguing that the White House’s actions worsened an already tense environment that local law enforcement was managing.
Trump and Homan have warned that state and local officials violating the law could face arrest.
Newsom responded defiantly on MSNBC, saying, “Come after me, arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy. I don’t give a damn. But I care about my community.”
The Trump administration’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles, against Newsom and local officials’ wishes, has been a major point of conflict. Trump called the protesters “professional agitators,” “insurrectionists,” and “bad people” who “should be in jail.” When asked whether he would invoke the Insurrection Act, Trump did not give a direct answer.
