Gavin Newsom: California Suing Trump for ‘Illegal’ Deployment of National Guard

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced his plans to sue the Trump administration for “illegally act[ing] to federalize the National Guard” to contain the Los Angeles anti-deportation riots, accusing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of being “in over his head.”

When asked by left-wing YouTuber Brian Taylor Cohen if he has any “confidence” that Hegseth will be as “principled” as former Defense Secretary Mark Esper was on Monday, Newsom coldly responded, “Pete Hegseth is a joke. He’s a joke. Everybody knows it, so in over his head. What an embarrassment.”

“That guy’s just weakness masquerading as strength. I don’t even know if he masquerades as strength… I mean, this Homan guy, these guys… it’s just the band of misfits. It really is,” the governor continued. “This is serious, people’s lives are at stake. The reputation of this country is at stake.”

He went on to say that Trump’s deployment of the National Guard, prompted by the ongoing violent protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials that sparked last week, “is a preview of things to come” to other cities. 

“This is not about LA, per se. This is about us today, it’s about you and everyone watching tomorrow,” Newsom argued. “I promise you. I mean, this guy is unhinged. Donald Trump is unhinged right now.”

Sharing the clip of the interview on X, Newsom wrote, “This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard.”

“The order he signed doesn’t just apply to CA. It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing. We’re suing him,” he said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt revealed Saturday that President Donald Trump had signed a Presidential Memorandum that deployed 2,000 National Guardsmen “to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester”:

“In recent days, violent mobs have attacked ICE officers and Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles, California,” Leavitt wrote. “These operations are essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States.”

Leavitt continued to call out Democrat leaders, such as Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), for “completely” abdicating “their responsibility to protect their citizens.”

“That is why President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester,” she added. “The Trump Administration has a zero tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when that violence is aimed at law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs. These criminals will be arrested and swiftly brought to justice. The Commander-in-Chief will ensure the laws of the United States are executed fully and completely.”

On Saturday, Newsom dared Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, to arrest him for “speaking out”:

In a jab back at Newsom, Trump told reporters, “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great”:

Olivia Rondeau is a politics reporter for Breitbart News based in Washington, DC. Find her on X/Twitter and Instagram.