Photo: Alamy
President Donald Trump blasted California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday, arguing that the governor should be thanking him for restoring peace to Los Angeles.
The president’s post to Truth Social noted the second night of calm in the city following the arrival of National Guard members and Marines working with local police.
“Los Angeles was safe and sound for the last two nights. Our great National Guard, with a little help from the Marines, put the L.A. Police in a position to effectively do their job. They all worked well together, but without the Military, Los Angeles would be a crime scene like we haven’t seen in years,” Trump wrote.
“Governor Gaven NewScum had totally lost control of the situation. He should be saying THANK YOU for saving his ass, instead of trying to justify his mistakes and incompetence!!!” he continued.
Trump authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid escalating protests over immigration enforcement, the Pentagon confirmed Monday. The move brought the total number of Guard members activated under federal orders to more than 4,100.
“‘If they spit, we will hit.’ This is a statement from the President of the United States concerning the catastrophic Gavin Newscum inspired Riots going on in Los Angeles. The Insurrectionists have a tendency to spit in the face of the National Guardsmen/women, and others,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday.
The order comes after approximately 700 U.S. Marines were sent to the city to support local law enforcement as demonstrations continued to intensify.
An initial wave of 2,100 National Guard troops was expected to be on the ground by Monday evening, though officials said it was unclear whether all had arrived as scheduled. According to the Pentagon, the newly deployed troops could take up to two days to reach the area due to the timing of the latest directive.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers were “overwhelmed” over the weekend and noted that familiar agitators known for inciting unrest were among the crowd. Over the weekend, several dozen individuals were arrested, including one person for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers.
