President Donald Trump said California Gov. Gavin Newsom should be arrested amid protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids.
Newsom challenged Tom Homan to arrest him after the border czar discussed the possibility of arresting the governor and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
"I would do it if I were Tom," Trump said Monday. "I think it's great Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing. He's done a terrible job. I like Gavin Newsom. He's a nice guy, but he's grossly incompetent. Everybody knows. All you have to do is look at the little railroad he's building. It's about a hundred times over budget."
Newsom was quick to respond to the ominous Trump statement. In a post on X, Newsom called Trump's remarks "a line we cannot cross as a nation" and warned they mark "an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism."
In his remarks, Trump also said people who are violently protesting and causing damage should be jailed.
"The people that are causing the problem are professional agitators," the president said. "They're insurrectionists. They're bad people. They should be in jail."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.