California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday strongly criticized the Trump administration’s decision to deploy an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid ongoing protests, calling the move “reckless” and “pointless.”
Newsom accused the federal government of political motives, claiming the deployment was designed to provoke rather than protect.
“The first 2,000? Given no food or water. Only approx. 300 are deployed — the rest are sitting, unused, in federal buildings without orders. This isn’t about public safety. It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego,” Newsom posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“This is Reckless. Pointless. And Disrespectful to our troops,” he added.
Over the weekend, President Donald Trump had already sent 2,000 guardsmen to Los Angeles in response to unrest sparked by an ICE-led crackdown.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed on Monday, “At the order of the President, the Department of Defense is mobilizing an additional 2,000 California National Guard to be called into federal service to support ICE & to enable federal law-enforcement officers to safely conduct their duties.”
However, Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta are fighting back. They filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that federalizing California’s National Guard without state consent violates constitutional principles of state sovereignty.
Newsom also accused Trump of “inflaming tensions” rather than calming the situation.
His concerns were echoed by LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, who said:
“The arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles — absent clear coordination — presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding this city. The Los Angeles Police Department, alongside our mutual aid partners, have decades of experience managing large-scale public demonstrations, and we remain confident in our ability to do so professionally and effectively.”
McDonnell stressed the importance of maintaining “open and continuous lines of communication between all agencies to prevent confusion, avoid escalation, and ensure a coordinated, lawful, and orderly response during this critical time.”
Newsom further condemned the news that 700 U.S. Marines were also being deployed without prior consultation with local officials.
“U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy. They are heroes,” Newsom stated. “They shouldn’t be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President.”
The situation remains tense as legal and political battles over federal authority and state rights intensify in California.