Newsom: 'democracy is under assault' as Trump sends forces to LA
As the unrest in Los Angeles continues both Califoria Governor and President Trump, longtime adversaries, both commented on the situation. Newsom calls it an "assault on democracy" while Trump speaks of a "foreign enemy".
Los Angeles (AP/dpa) - Calling President Donald Trump a threat to the American way of life, California Governor Gavin Newsom depicted the federal military intervention in Los Angeles as the onset of a much broader effort by Trump to overturn political and cultural norms at the heart of the nation’s democracy.
In a speech Tuesday evening, the potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate said the arrival of National Guard and Marine troops in the city at Trump's direction was not simply about quelling protests that followed a series of immigration raids by federal authorities. Instead, he said, it was part of a calculated “war” intended to upend the foundations of society and concentrate power in the White House.
“California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next,” a somber Newsom warned, seated before the U.S. and California flags. “Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes. This moment we have feared has arrived.”
Longtime adversaries
As head of the heavily Democratic state known as the epicenter of the so-called Trump resistance, Newsom and the Republican president have long been adversaries. But the governor's speech delivered in prime time argued that Trump was not just a threat to democracy, but was actively working to break down its guardrails that reach back to the nation's founding.
″He’s declared a war. A war on culture, on history, on science, on knowledge itself," Newsom said. “He’s delegitimizing news organizations, and he’s assaulting the First Amendment.”
Newsom added that Trump is attacking law firms and the judicial branch — “the foundations of an orderly and civil society.”
“It’s time for all of us to stand up,” Newsom said, urging any protests to be peaceful. “What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence, to be complicit in this moment. Do not give in to him.”
Court to rule later
His speech came the same day that Newsom asked a court to put an emergency stop to the military helping federal immigration agents, with some guardsmen now standing in protective gauntlet around agents as they carried out arrests. The judge chose not to rule immediately, giving the Trump administration several days to continue those activities before a hearing Thursday.
Trump: LA is being invaded by a 'foreign enemy'
Trump on Tuesday described the unrest in Los Angeles as an invasion by a "foreign enemy" during a speech at Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina.
Addressing the ongoing protests in the city, he said demonstrators were "rioters bearing foreign flags with the aim of continuing a foreign invasion of our country."
"What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order, and on national sovereignty," Trump said. "We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy."
He went on to describe the protesters as "animals" who "proudly carry the flags of other countries," but do not carry the US flag.
Trump says he's open to using Insurrection Act
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said he is considering whether to invoke a 200-year-old law to deploy additional military forces in Los Angeles.
Responding to journalists at the White House, Trump said he would consider invoking the Insurrection Act, an 1807 law that allows presidents to send troops to restore public order in certain emergency situations.
"If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it," he stated.
Critics including California Governor Gavin Newsom have accused Trump of inflaming the situation by sending troops.
Without providing evidence, Trump also blamed "paid insurrectionists" for the violence in Los Angeles. "These are paid insurrectionists. These are paid troublemakers. They get money," he said.
Trump further argued that the city "would be burning right now" if not for the troops he sent, comparing the situation to the fires that caused unprecedented damage earlier this year.
LA mayor declares curfew for downtown area
In response to the protests, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a curfew in downtown Los Angeles from 8 pm on Tuesday (0300 GMT Wednesday) until 6 am on Wednesday.
"I have declared a local emergency and issued a curfew for downtown Los Angeles to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting," Bass told reporters at an evening news conference, noting significant damage to businesses and properties.
"Law enforcement will arrest individuals who break the curfew, and you will be prosecuted," she added.
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