Trump Defends Military Deployment To L.A. Amid Looting As Protests Grow Across The U.S.
Approximately 700 U.S. Marines were mobilized by the Trump administration Monday to support the National Guard in LA amid anti-ICE protests.
Hours before, California sued the Trump administration for deploying 2,000 National Guard troops there without California Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent. Under President Trump’s order, they were told to remain there for roughly 60 days to help disperse protesters.
It follows an Immigration and Customs Enforcement crackdown in L.A., with officers announcing Saturday that 118 undocumented immigrants were arrested the week prior. That includes more than 40 on Friday alone during raids at two Home Depots, a store in the fashion district, and a doughnut shop.
ON THE GROUND
While most of the protests have been peaceful, some turned violent, with people setting Waymo cars on fire and throwing fireworks at police. On Sunday, demonstrators threw cinderblocks on California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers on the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles.
There were more than 40 arrests and at least five law enforcement officers were injured during the protests.
Things were calmer in L.A. today, but solidarity protests have already emerged in San Francisco, Sacramento, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago, and New York, with at least 30 new protests planned for this week in major cities across the country.
President Trump dismissed concerns Tuesday that deploying 700 Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles escalated violence. Instead, he called the response necessary and appropriate, and warned other cities that protesters could be “met with equal or greater force” if similar unrest occurs.
“By doing what I did, I stopped the violence in L.A.,” Trump told reporters. He contended that if he hadn’t deployed the military, the situation in L.A. would be much worse.
“Right now Los Angeles would be burning, just like it was burning a number of months ago with all the houses that were lost,” Trump said, referencing the January wildfires.
It follows a night of escalating violence in the city, as anti-ICE protests intensified in downtown Los Angeles. Some individuals looted, graffitied, and vandalized several stores, including an Apple Store and a CVS Pharmacy. LA Mayor Karen Bass (D) blamed the violence on “fringe groups” and said over 100 people were arrested Monday night.
“I do not believe that individuals who commit vandalism and violence in our city are truly supporting immigrants,” Bass said. “If you support immigrants and their right to be in our city, you would not be tearing it apart or vandalizing it.”
TRUMP VS. NEWSOM
California authorities have said the protests were already weakening when the president sent in the National Guard. On Tuesday, Trump said he called California Gov. Gavin Newsom yesterday about the L.A. protests, telling him he’s “got to do a better job. He’s done a bad job, causing a lot of death, a lot of potential death.” California authorities have not reported any deaths during the protests. Newsom wrote on social media that the president never called.
The Democratic governor also filed an emergency motion on Tuesday to block Trump’s military deployment. A federal judge denied California's request for an immediate restraining order and set arguments for Thursday.
WHAT’S NEXT
Anti-ICE demonstrations also took place Monday and Tuesday in New York City, Austin, Texas, and other major U.S. cities. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Tuesday that the National Guard troops and Marines in Los Angeles will cost at least $134 million over 60 days.
Despite suggesting he might, Trump has yet to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to the protests and said Tuesday the protests are dying down because of his actions.
“If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it,” and added, “I could tell you there are certain areas of Los Angeles that you could have called an insurrection.”
