Trump Vs Newsom “War” and LA Riots

LOS ANGELES, TUESDAY - Protests are still ongoing in Los Angeles, California, United States. In the latest development, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that it would be good if California Governor Gavin Newsom were arrested. Furthermore, on Monday evening U.S. time or Tuesday morning (10/6/2025) Jakarta time, Trump also authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles.

In addition, the Pentagon is also reported to have deployed 700 Marines from Twentynine Palms, a military base in California. They are assigned to protect federal assets and support the National Guard that has been on duty. The deployment of the Marines is said to be temporary until additional National Guard units arrive.

For three days, public protests against Trump's decision to deport illegal immigrants have been ongoing. On Monday (9/6/2025), the crowd set fire to a Waymo driverless taxi in opposition to law enforcement officials. Trump also deployed at least 1,000 National Guard members to manage a situation that had briefly escalated into riots.

Amid the chaos on the ground, there is also turmoil among the political elite. The Federal Government of the United States is at odds with the Government of California. Washington criticizes Sacramento for opposing Trump's decision to raid and deport undocumented immigrants.

Sacramento, in this case, California Governor Gavin Newsom stated that raids and deportations are illegal actions. As long as citizens do not commit crimes, the government should not seek out faults.

Newsom also protested Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard without coordinating with him. He described Trump's actions as authoritarian. The president should not invade the authority of governors. Through California Attorney General Rob Bonta, Sacramento is suing Trump in court.

The U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Borders, Tom Homan, then stated that no one is above the law, including officials. Raids and deportations of immigrants have become a decision of the central government and should not be obstructed.

Hearing Homan's statement, Newsom responded during an interview with MSNBC. "Then, just arrest me. You all know where I am," he said.

Homan then responded in an interview with Fox News. He reiterated that no one should obstruct the decisions of the federal government. However, Homan emphasized that there has been no discussion in Washington DC regarding the plan to arrest Newsom.

This changed when Trump brought it up during a press conference at the White House. He was asked generally about the policy clash between Homan and Newsom. Trump smiled.

"I think if I were Tom, I would catch Gavin. Gavin likes publicity, but catching him would be great because he is terrible," said Trump.

He then accused those who opposed his decision on migrant deportations of being the masterminds of the riots. They should all be jailed.

Since his first term in office from 2017 to 2021, Trump has not been on good terms with Newsom. At that time, Newsom criticized the federal government for its inadequate handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. Trump responded by criticizing Newsom for excessively implementing health protocols, including social restrictions and the use of masks.

In January 2025, Trump criticized Newsom for being unable to handle the land fires in Los Angeles. Newsom responded by stating that climate change has resulted in land and water droughts. Washington should send aid instead of politicizing the disaster.

"The new US President has ordered the arrest of an active governor. This is a day I never imagined in US history," tweeted Newsom on X, Tuesday (10/6/2025) early morning Indonesian time.

He stated that authoritarianism has consumed the US government. Regardless of blue affiliation (Democratic Party) or red (Republican Party), authoritarian behavior is not permitted within the nation's democracy.

This war has sparked a commotion in the online world. Initially, netizens criticized Newsom for the chaotic coordination between the LA Police under state orders and the National Guard from the center. Netizens stated that Newsom's chances of running for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination for the 2028 election have been dashed.

However, Trump's comments caused netizens to abandon their complaints about Newsom. Netizens are concerned about signs that the central government's power has overly intervened in state autonomy.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance is attempting to ease tensions by tweeting on X. "It is better for every stakeholder to perform their duties well," he stated.

Meanwhile, as the elite are in conflict, CNN reports that 700 Marines have been deployed to Los Angeles. They are from the California Combat Training Center. Similar to the National Guard, the deployment of the Marines was ordered by Washington without coordination with Sacramento.

Nevertheless, there is still no clarity regarding the tasks of the marines in the field. Both the marines and the National Guard are not allowed to have direct contact with civilians, let alone make arrests. So far, the National Guard has been securing federal buildings in Los Angeles.

This could change if the president declares a state of emergency and activates the Anti-Rebellion Law. In this situation, the military and the National Guard are permitted to arrest civilians accused of being rebels against the state.

"This is an uncontrolled and unwanted escalation, pitting the military against the people," said a statement from the California Governor's Office.

The Vice President of the United States for 2021-2025, Kamala Harris, also condemned Trump. She stated that Washington is actually exacerbating the situation instead of attempting to engage in dialogue and calm the masses. So far, 44 individuals have been arrested by agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The community protests that ICE agents arbitrarily arrest individuals. In the case of immigration raids, many people of color in the U.S. are ambushed by ICE agents and accused of being undocumented immigrants. In fact, there are U.S. citizens who have been wrongfully deported to El Salvador and imprisoned.

In the city of San Francisco, a demonstration of solidarity with Los Angeles was sparked. Reporting from the newspaper SF Gate, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie reported that 148 residents were arrested for rioting.

"The majority of protesters outside the ICE office were peaceful," he said.

According to Lurie, San Francisco is preparing for a larger demonstration. All actions are permitted and protected by law, as long as there are no criminal activities. The riots on Monday resulted in one city bus being damaged and several shop windows being broken. (AP)