All of the nation’s Democratic governors are supporting California Gov. Gavin Newsom in his condemnation of President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the state’s National Guard to quell the violent anti-ICE protests that have brought chaos, danger, and destruction to Los Angeles.
“President Trump’s move to deploy California’s National Guard is an alarming abuse of power,” the governors claimed in a statement released Sunday. “Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guard and the federal government activating them in their own borders without consulting or working with a state’s governor is ineffective and dangerous.”
Newsom posted the statement of support by his fellow Democratic governors on social media.
“Every single Democratic Governor agrees: Donald Trump’s attempts to militarize California are an alarming abuse of power,” the California governor touted.
The governors continued that “threatening to send the U.S. Marines into American neighborhoods undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement.”
“It’s important we respect the executive authority of our country’s governors to manage their National Guards — and we stand with Governor Newsom who has made it clear that violence is unacceptable and that local authorities should be able to do their jobs without the chaos of this federal interference and intimidation,” the governors concluded.
The statement is signed by:
DGA Chair Gov. Laura Kelly, DGA Vice Chair Gov. Andy Beshear, Gov. Tony Evers, Gov. Bob Ferguson, Gov. Josh Green, Gov. Maura Healey, Gov. Katie Hobbs, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Gov. Tina Kotek, Gov. Ned Lamont, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Gov. Dan McKee, Gov. Matt Meyer, Gov. Janet Mills, Gov. Wes Moore, Gov. Phil Murphy, Gov. Jared Polis, Gov. JB Pritzker, Gov. Josh Shapiro, Gov. Josh Stein, Gov. Tim Walz, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
In a separate post to the X platform, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called attention to her support of Newsom with the other Democratic governors, underscoring the claim that the president’s decision to deploy the California National Guard is “an alarming abuse of power.”
On Sunday, however, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Central Division announced that the city was officially “on tactical alert.”
“An UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been declared for the area of Alameda between 2nd St and Aliso St.,” the announcement stated. “A DISPERSAL ORDER has been issued. Arrests are being made. To our media partners, please keep a safe distance from active operations.”
Legal analyst and George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley described Monday in his column that “Newsom was in his element this week.”
“After scenes of burning cars and attacks on ICE personnel, Newsom declared that this was all ‘an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act,’” Turley wrote, quipping, “No, he was not speaking of the attacks on law enforcement or property. He was referring to President Donald Trump’s call to deploy the National Guard to protect federal officers.”
Newsom, Turley noted, is planning to file a lawsuit against Trump, though “Trump has the authority under Section 12406 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code to deploy the National Guard if the president is ‘unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.’”
While the law professor wrote that a “fair debate” can be had over whether Trump’s move to deploy the National Guard was good policy, it’s clear, nevertheless, that the president “wants the violence to end now as opposed to escalating as it did in the Rodney King riots or the later riots after the George Floyd killings, causing billions in property damage and many deaths.”
The US Code, Turley explained, “grants Trump the authority to call out the Guard and employs a mandatory term for governors, who ‘shall’ issue the President’s order.”
He pointed out as well that, in his memorandum, Trump directed “actions as necessary for the Secretary of Defense to coordinate with the Governors of the States and the National Guard Bureau in identifying and ordering into Federal service the appropriate members and units of the National Guard under this authority.”
“Newsom is clearly refusing to issue the orders or coordinate the deployment,” Turley wrote, adding that “[s]ome Democrats are also “now playing directly to the mob.”
“A Los Angeles City Council member, Eunisses Hernandez, reportedly urged anti-law enforcement protesters to ‘escalate’ their tactics against ICE officers,” Turley noted, quoting Hernandez: “They know how quickly we mobilize, that’s why they’re changing tactics. Because community defense works and our resistance has slowed them down before… and if they’re escalating their tactics then so are we. When they show up, we gotta show up even stronger.”
On Sunday, Trump lamented on Truth Social that Los Angeles was “a once great American City” but has since “been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals.”
“Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations — But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve,” Trump wrote, explaining he was directing “all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots.”
“Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free,” the president stated.