Donald Trump calls for California governor's arrest amid LA protests, Gavin Newsom reacts: ‘A day I hoped…’

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that Trump's call for his arrest “is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism”.

Updated on: Jun 10, 2025, 06:24:27 IST

By HT News Desk

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Amid the escalating tensions over the protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles, US President Donald Trump on Monday said he would back the arrest of California Governor Gavin Newsom over possible obstruction of his administration's measures in the ongoing immigration row.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that Donald Trump's arrest call is one line that cannot be crossed as a nation. (AP/Reuters)

Trump's border czar Tom Homan had on Saturday threatened to arrest anyone who came in the way of enforcement efforts in the state, including Newsom and LA mayor Karen Bass. Follow LA protests LIVE updates

"I would do it if I were Tom. I think it's great. Gavin likes the publicity but I think it would be a great thing," Trump told reporters at the White House.

The President's remarks came after Newsom vowed to sue the Trump administration over the deployment of National Guard troops to Southern California, terming it as an 'illegal act'.

Newsom, who is considered a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, took to X and posted, "This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard."

Governor Newsom reacts to arrest threat

California Governor Gavin Newsom reacted to Trump's comments about supporting his arrest and said that "this is a day I hoped I would never see in America".

He noted that how the US President called for the arrest of a sitting Governor.

ALSO READ | Can Donald Trump call for Gov Newsom's arrest over LA riots? Here's what the law says

"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," he added in a post on X.

LA protests

Protests in the Los Angeles county erupted on Friday night after officials of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted high-level workplace raids and arrested at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations.

The demonstrations continued in LA over the weekend, prompting Trump to order deployment of the National Guard troops without first consulting the governor.

ALSO READ | ‘Absolutely horrible job’: Trump slams Newsom, Bass over Los Angeles riots

Republicans backed Trump's move and said that the protests in LA were all the more a reason for the President's "one big beautiful bill" to be passed in the Congress.

The US Northern Command said that 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed to three spots in the LA area. The Department of Homeland Security affirmed that the Guard's aim was to protect federal buildings.

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HT News Desk
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