On the morning of June 8 local time, the streets of downtown Los Angeles were shrouded in tear gas smoke.
In front of a federal law enforcement building, National Guard personnel, dressed in camouflage, formed a tight defensive line, holding riot shields as they faced off against the growing crowd of protesters.
The National Guard fired tear gas and rubber bullets in an attempt to disperse the protesters, who retaliated by throwing water bottles and rocks. The number of protesters grew from a few dozen to over 200, with some blocking major highways leading into downtown Los Angeles.
“We just want to peacefully express our opinions,” one protester told local reporters, his voice trembling with emotion. “Is it really necessary for the Trump administration to send military personnel to deal with us?!”
The Counterproductive Tear Gas
The trigger for the incident can be traced back to two days earlier.
On June 6 local time, U.S. federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), launched a large-scale operation targeting illegal immigrants in Los Angeles.
The raid-style tactics employed by law enforcement to enter communities angered local residents. On the first day of the operation, small-scale protests erupted at multiple enforcement sites.
The protests rapidly expanded the following day as the search operations continued.
In immigrant-heavy neighborhoods like East Los Angeles and Van Nuys, residents clashed with law enforcement officers. Protesters held signs and chanted slogans, blocking enforcement vehicles. When local police intervened, tensions escalated further, and incidents of looting and violence occurred in some areas.
On the evening of July 7 local time, President Trump took to social media to accuse California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of being “incompetent” and unable to control the chaos.
Trump subsequently signed a presidential memorandum to send 2,000 California National Guard personnel to Los Angeles, despite Governor Newsom not requesting federal assistance.
The Department of Defense also ordered Marines stationed near Los Angeles to remain on standby, ready to intervene if necessary.
According to reports, this marked the first time since 1965 that a U.S. president had deployed National Guard troops without the request of the state governor.
Another Test
In response to the sudden crisis, Governor Newsom displayed a tough stance and firm position.
Starting on July 7, Newsom publicly opposed Trump’s decision, releasing a statement on social media immediately after the signing of the memorandum. He called the action “overreach” and “dangerous.”
Newsom emphasized that under the law, the governor is the highest commander of the state’s National Guard, and the federal government’s deployment of the National Guard within the state without the governor’s consent is “invalid and dangerous.”
California has long been known as the state with the “strongest presence” in the U.S., and as such, the governor’s authority is generally stronger than that of other states. Newsom’s extensive personal experience also provided him with the necessary skills to handle various crises.
Born in San Francisco in 1967, Newsom’s early life was marked by hardship. His parents divorced when he was five, and he was raised by his mother, who worked multiple jobs. Despite struggling with severe dyslexia, Newsom excelled in sports and earned a baseball scholarship to Santa Clara University, only to see his athletic dreams end when he suffered an arm injury during his sophomore year.
In 1989, after earning a degree in political science, Newsom, with the help of billionaire Gordon Getty, opened a wine store in San Francisco and quickly expanded into bars, wineries, restaurants, and hotels, making him a millionaire.
Newsom’s political career began in 1995 when he volunteered for the mayoral campaign of Willie Brown in San Francisco. After Brown’s election, he appointed Newsom to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
While in this position, Newsom gained political capital by successfully addressing homelessness, adopting pragmatic solutions like reducing cash assistance and providing housing.
In 2003, Newsom was elected mayor of San Francisco, where he was particularly praised for offering tax incentives to attract businesses and supporting various commercial development projects.
In 2011, he became lieutenant governor, and in January 2019, he assumed office as California’s governor. He sold his mansion in San Francisco and relocated to the state capital, Sacramento.
Throughout his tenure, Newsom has faced numerous challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires, and droughts. Each time, he has effectively navigated the crisis, demonstrating strong crisis management abilities.
But this time, Newsom faces off against Trump, and the question of whether he can guide California through this crisis has become a major focus of public attention.
In fact, this is not the first time Newsom has clashed with Trump.
In April of this year, following the U.S. government’s trade war, Newsom represented California in a lawsuit against the federal government, accusing Trump of abusing emergency powers to impose unconstitutional and illegal tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada.
At the time, Newsom’s lawsuit emphasized: “The president cannot rewrite trade rules based solely on personal will, as if he were a king.”
Deep-Seated Crisis
On the morning of June 8, Newsom further criticized Trump, accusing the president’s order to deploy the California National Guard of being an attempt to “incite violence” for political gain.
“We have been working closely with law enforcement. They have no unmet needs. The president is trying to stoke emotions and provoke further responses,” Newsom said.
Later that afternoon, Newsom officially signed a document to the U.S. Department of Defense, requesting that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth retract the deployment order and return control of the California National Guard to the state government, “to be deployed only when necessary.”
As protests escalated, Newsom again took to social media, urging protesters and Californians to remain calm and avoid violence, “or else it will play right into Trump’s hands.”
On June 9 local time, Newsom convened an emergency meeting with California law enforcement to discuss how to handle Trump’s “military intervention.”
According to U.S. policy experts, “Historically, California has experienced several major uprisings, such as the 1965 riots triggered by police violence in African American communities, which led to the deployment of nearly 14,000 National Guard troops to suppress the unrest.”
“The 1992 Los Angeles riots caused immense economic and social damage, resulting in 63 deaths, 2,383 injuries, over 12,000 arrests, and more than $1 billion in property damage, making it the most destructive local riot in U.S. history.”
Such unrests have had long-lasting impacts on Los Angeles, including forced community reorganization, slow economic recovery, and damaged urban planning.
The expert believes that the recent unrest further highlights the sharp divide between the U.S. federal government and state governments.
“The deployment of ICE agents and National Guard troops seems more like a political stunt by Trump, as large-scale deportations face significant operational hurdles,” the expert said.
“First, it’s almost impossible for a few thousand ICE agents to identify and arrest millions of illegal immigrants; second, even if illegal immigrants are detained, deportation still requires a complex legal process; third, many illegal immigrants lack verifiable identity documents or information about their countries of origin, and under international law, the U.S. cannot unilaterally deport them without the consent of the receiving country.”
The expert believes that the conflict between Newsom and Trump exposes deep issues in the U.S. federal system. “The current distribution of power between federal and state governments in the U.S. is flawed. The fact that Trump has been the ‘instigator’ of domestic unrest on two occasions in recent years underscores the growing crisis of American constitutionalism.”
Newsom is now facing not only a showdown with Trump, but also the complex power struggle between state and federal authorities under the U.S. federal system.