Trump Deploys 2,000 National Guard Troops to Los Angeles Amid Immigration Protests

President Trump defended his decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid protests and riots sparked by federal immigration raids, asserting that without this intervention, the city would have been destroyed. Trump accused local officials, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, of incompetence and expressed frustration that they did not adequately respond to the unrest. Governor Newsom condemned the deployment as unconstitutional, accusing the Pentagon of escalating the situation and threatening legal action against the federal government for commandeering the state's National Guard without consultation. The conflict highlights deep political tensions, with former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney noting that Newsom was unlikely to authorize the Guard due to its political unpopularity in California. Meanwhile, the Pentagon indicated readiness to deploy additional forces, including Marines, to support law enforcement. This standoff underscores the broader national debate over federal versus state authority in managing civil unrest and immigration enforcement.