Donald Trump Says Arrest Of California Governor Gavin Newsom Would Be “Great” Amid LA Riots

U.S. President Donald Trump said he thinks it would be “great” to arrest California Governor Gavin Newsom.

It comes amid a fourth day of intense protests in Los Angeles, sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids over the weekend.

Trump has authorized the deployment of 4,000 National Guard members and 700 active duty Marines to the city.

It is the first time since 1965 that the National Guard has been deployed without a state governor’s request, with Newsom strongly opposing the move.

Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said he would arrest Newsom if he got in the way of ICE raids, and Trump told reporters Newsom’s arrest would be “great.”

“I would do it if I was Tom, I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing,” Trump said.

“He’s done a terrible job. Look, I like Gavin, he’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent, everybody knows,” he added.

In response, Newsom said Trump was taking a step toward authoritarianism.

“The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting governor,” he posted on X.

“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.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also slammed Trump’s comments, comparing them to tyranny.

“The Trump Administration’s escalation and provocation in California inflames tensions and incites violence,” she said on X.

“Now, the President of the United States said he would arrest a sitting American governor just for disagreeing with these actions.

“This is a hallmark of authoritarianism on the road to tyranny–and all Americans should be shocked and appalled by the President’s blatant disregard for our Constitutional system.”

Trump was later asked by reporters at the White House what crime Newsom had committed that would warrant his arrest.

“I think his primary crime is running for governor,” Trump responded.

Homan previously told NBC News that he would not rule out arresting anyone, and this included Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.

“I’ll say it about anybody,” he said. “You cross that line, it’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.”

He said that while the Department of Justice would prosecute if Bass crossed a line, he did not believe she had done so thus far.

In response, Newsom spoke to the same reporter, Jacob Soboroff, in an interview and told Homan to go ahead and arrest him.

“He’s a tough guy. Why doesn’t he do that? He knows where to find me,” he said.

“That kind of bloviating is exhausting. So, Tom, arrest me. Let's go.”

Homan has since claimed NBC News “took his words out of context” and deliberately edited a 20-minute clip.

“I never threatened to arrest Governor Newsom, so I’m not biting off in that,” he said on Morning Joe.

“It’s just that the reporter is dishonest and let them play the whole 20-minute interview, and you’ll see a whole different discussion that we had,” he added.

Soboroff has denied taking Homan’s words out of context and said, “It’s right there on tape.”

Newsom has sued the Trump administration over their decision to deploy the National Guard.

“I'm filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration to end the illegal takeover of @TheCalGuard, which has escalated chaos and violence in LA. Donald Trump's violation of the U.S. Constitution is an overstep of his authority. We will not let this stand,” Newsom said.

The governor has accused Trump of deliberately manufacturing a crisis and inflaming tensions.

Trump continues to defend his decision and has ordered the arrest of anyone wearing a face mask during the protests.

He also shared a statement stating, “If they spit, we will hit,” referring to protestors spitting in the face of the National Guard.

“IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated,” he said.

Trump had earlier described his decision to send National Guard troops to L.A. as “great” and said if he hadn’t done so, L.A. “would have been completely obliterated.”

He also criticized Newsom and Bass, stating they should have thanked him, called him wonderful, and told him they would be nothing without him.

“Instead, they choose to lie to the People of California and America by saying that we weren’t needed and that these are ‘peaceful protests,’” he said.

“Just one look at the pictures and videos of the Violence and Destruction tells you all you have to know. We will always do what is needed to keep our Citizens SAFE, so we can, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

The protests began peacefully in response to ICE raids—reportedly carried out at schools, courthouses, and workplaces—after word rapidly spread on social media.

But the demonstrations soon escalated into violence.

Newsom has insisted that local law enforcement had the situation under control before Trump intervened and deployed the National Guard.

On Sunday, protestors shut down the 101 Freeway in downtown L.A. and targeted self-driving Waymo cars, vandalizing them and setting them ablaze.

Police cars were also targeted, and clashes intensified after National Guard troops were deployed, leading to further unrest and arrests.