Dem Rep. Chu: Trump Started It in L.A. by Not Focusing on Deporting Criminals and ‘Bad Actors’ Took Advantage of Protests

On Tuesday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “On Balance,” Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) stated that the situation in Los Angeles was started by President Donald Trump because “There are bad actors who are taking advantage of these protests” and the National Guard’s presence is helping create chaos.

Chu began by saying, “I absolutely do not think looting or violent acts are okay. But I also do not think that mass raids without warrants are okay, which is what started this whole thing. It was started by Donald Trump.”

Host Leland Vittert then cut in to ask, “Okay, so, how do mass raids start looting the Apple Store? Connect the dots for me.”

Chu responded, “I remember a time when Donald Trump went to rally after rally saying that he was going to get the violent criminals and rapists who are undocumented out of this country. What happened to that? Instead of getting mothers, fathers, your neighbors, people who are sowing, people who are getting work at day labor. How does that match?”

Vittert then cut in to say that he’s asking “how you go from raids — whether or not they were advisable or what Trump promised, I don’t know — but they’re certainly legal to go pick people who are illegally in this country up and deport them. How does that justify looting and rioting?”

Chu answered, “There are bad actors who are taking advantage of these protests.” And “We do not condone violence.”

Later, she added that the National Guard is “sowing chaos through their presence.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett