President federalizes California troops despite Newsom’s fury as tear gas, flash-bangs and burning cars engulf streets in second day of violent anti-ICE protests – Pentagon chief threatens to deploy MARINES as ‘insurrection’ spreads
President Donald Trump dramatically deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Saturday night as violent protests against immigration raids spiraled out of control, with burning cars, tear gas battles and masked rioters attacking federal agents across the city.
In an extraordinary showdown between federal and state authorities, Trump blasted California Governor Gavin “Newscum” and LA Mayor Karen Bass for being “unable to handle the task,” declaring on Truth Social that if they “can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”
The unprecedented deployment – the first federalization of National Guard troops since the 1992 LA riots – came as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton were on “high alert” and could be mobilized “if violence continues.”
Newsom Brands Pentagon Chief ‘Deranged’
Governor Newsom erupted in fury at the Trump administration’s power grab, calling Hegseth’s threat to deploy Marines on American soil “deranged behavior” and warning protesters: “Don’t give them a spectacle. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully.”
The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles—not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle, Newsom posted on X, calling the move “purposefully inflammatory” that “will only escalate tensions.
In a tense 40-minute phone call Friday night, Newsom had pleaded with Trump not to federalize the Guard, insisting local authorities had the situation under control – a claim the President clearly rejected.
‘Violent Insurrection’ in the Streets
The chaos erupted Friday when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted raids across Los Angeles, including in the downtown Fashion District, detaining at least 44 people on immigration violations. By Saturday, the protests had spread to the city of Paramount, where dramatic scenes unfolded:
- A car was set ablaze at the intersection of Alondra Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue in Compton
- Border Patrol agents in riot gear fired tear gas, flash-bangs and pepper balls at crowds
- Protesters hurled rocks and cement at federal vehicles
- Mexican flags were waved as smoke billowed from burning vehicles
- Green-uniformed security personnel with gas masks lined streets strewn with overturned shopping carts
Senior White House aide Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, described the protests as a “violent insurrection.
Vice President JD Vance declared: “Insurrectionists carrying foreign flags are attacking immigration enforcement officers, while one half of America’s political leadership has decided that border enforcement is evil.
Mayor Bass: ‘National Guard Not in LA’
In a remarkable midnight standoff, Mayor Bass contradicted Trump’s victory lap, posting on X: “Just to be clear, the National Guard has not been deployed in the City of Los Angeles.
This came just minutes after Trump praised the Guard for doing a “great job” bringing order “after two days of violence, clashes and unrest.
Bass, who had criticized the ICE raids for “sowing terror in our communities,” said city officials were “working closely with law enforcement to find the best path forward.”
FBI Director Threatens Jail
FBI Director Kash Patel waded into the crisis with a stark warning on X: “Hit a cop, you’re going to jail… doesn’t matter where you came from, how you got here, or what movement speaks to you. If the local police force won’t back our men and women on the thin blue line, we @FBI will.
The Department of Homeland Security claimed about “1,000 rioters” participated in Friday’s protests, though Reuters could not verify this figure.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem declared: “A message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down.”
Two-Hour Wait for Police Backup
Acting ICE director Todd Lyons unleashed a blistering attack on local authorities, claiming: “It took over two hours for the Los Angeles Police Department to respond, despite being called multiple times.
“Our brave officers were vastly outnumbered, as over 1,000 rioters surrounded and attacked a federal building,” his statement read.
The LA County Sheriff’s Department, which sent deputies to assist federal agents who came “under attack,” arrested two individuals Saturday night for alleged assault on law enforcement officers.
Trump Bans Protest Masks
In a late-night Truth Social post, Trump announced a sweeping new policy: “MASKS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to be worn at protests. What do these people have to hide, and why???”
The President praised the National Guard while taking another swipe at California’s leadership: “We have an incompetent Governor (Newscum) and Mayor (Bass) who were, as usual (just look at how they handled the fires, and now their VERY SLOW PERMITTING disaster), unable to handle the task.”
He warned: “These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will NOT BE TOLERATED.”
Historic Federal Takeover
The use of Title 10 authority is a waiver of the Posse Comitatus Act, which is a U.S. federal law that restricts the use of the U.S. military for law enforcement within the U.S.
Trump’s presidential memorandum stated the deployment was necessary because “incidents of violence and disorder” following the recent immigration roundups amounted to “a form of rebellion” against the United States.
This marks the first time since the 1992 Rodney King riots that a president has federalized National Guard troops against a governor’s wishes.
Border Czar’s Warning to Officials
Trump’s border czar Tom Homan defended the deployment and issued a chilling warning to Newsom and Bass that they could face arrest, telling NBC News: “Help us take these criminals off the street.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused California’s Democratic leaders of having “completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens,” adding that “Gavin Newsom has done nothing to stop this violence” and “should be thanking President Trump for bringing law and order to California.
Protests Continue as Tensions Mount
As dawn broke Sunday, organizers had already called for a third day of protests, with small groups still walking the streets waving flags despite police maintaining skirmish lines throughout the night.
The American Civil Liberties Union condemned the deployment as “an inflammatory abuse of power,” while immigrant rights organization Chirla expressed worry that lawyers had not been given access to those detained Friday.
With Trump’s administration vowing to arrest at least 3,000 migrants daily and the President threatening further military intervention, the stage is set for an explosive confrontation between federal forces and California’s Democratic leadership – with Los Angeles caught in the crossfire.
As one senior law enforcement source warned: “Many see the deployment of the National Guard as an overreaction that may backfire and only provoke additional agitators.
Image credit: President Donald Trump talks to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine with JD Vance and Marco Rubio in the background on Friday, February 28, 2025 in the White House by Daniel Torok / The White House, taken 28 February 2025 in the West Wing Lobby, licensed as Public Domain (U.S. Government work) .
