Trump slams protesters as ‘animals', White House blames California leaders for escalating unrest
WASHINGTON, June 12 — The White House said yesterday President Donald Trump would not allow 'mob rule' after protests against his immigration policies spread across the United States despite a military-backed crackdown in Los Angeles.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also attacked the Democratic governor of California and mayor of Los Angeles, claiming they had 'fanned the flames' of the clashes.
'President Trump will never allow mob rule to prevail in America,' Leavitt told a briefing at the White House, backed by television screens showing images of burning vehicles and masked rioters.
'The most basic duty of government is to preserve law and order, and this administration embraces that sacred responsibility.'
Leavitt's comments echoed Trump's in a speech at the Fort Bragg military base on Tuesday, in which he vowed to 'liberate' Los Angeles and branded the protesters 'animals.'
Trump is in conflict with California authorities who have accused the Republican president of being 'dictatorial' and seeking political gain by sending in thousands of troops to break up the protests, which have largely been peaceful.
Police stand on guard as protesters march through downtown Los Angeles as demonstrations continue after a series of immigration raids began last Friday. — AFP pic
Pockets of violence—including the burning of self-driving taxis and hurling of stones at police—have triggered a massive response from authorities, who have used tear gas and other less-lethal weapons.
'Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass shamefully failed to meet their sworn obligations to their citizens,' Leavitt responded, accusing Newsom of having 'fanned the flames and demonized our brave ICE officers.'
The protests erupted last week after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers carried out a series of raids in Los Angeles to back up Trump's hardline immigration policies.
Trump has also called the protesters 'paid insurrectionists'—alleging that some of them had professional anti-riot equipment—but the White House did not say who it believed was paying them.
'It's a good question the president is raising, and one we are looking into, about who is funding these insurrectionists,' Leavitt said when asked by AFP about the president's comments. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
Trump Says He Might ‘Go Up' With 25 Per Cent Auto Tariff
US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, April 7, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt ISTANBUL, June 13 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he may increase his 25 per cent tariff on imported cars in the "not-too-distant future" to further protect the country's automotive workers, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported. "To further defend our auto workers, I imposed a 25 per cent tariff on all foreign automobiles, and investments in American auto manufacturing are surging because of it," Trump said at the White House. Stating that tariffs should be paid for cars not produced in the US, he said: "This could have been done by any of the presidents. I did it with China. The reason why you don't have Chinese cars here is because I imposed it (the tariff) in my last term." bootstrap slideshow However, Trump said he loves China and respects President Xi Jinping a lot, adding they have made a deal with China that is good for both countries. "To further defend our auto workers, I imposed this 25 per cent tariff on all foreign cars, and I might go up with that tariff in the not-too-distant future," he noted. "The higher you go, the more likely they are to build a plant here," Trump added. His remarks were made during a White House event aimed at opposing a California state regulation that would phase out petrol-powered cars and end the sale of new ones by 2035. Trump boasted about forthcoming investments from Ford and General Motors, attributing those announcements to his tariffs. Nonetheless, international automakers such as Hyundai have cautioned that they might need to increase prices due to the tariffs. The president has enacted — and retracted — tariffs on different industries, including automobiles and steel and aluminium, while warning of further tariffs on pharmaceuticals and certain other imports.
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Oil surges, stocks fall on Middle East fears as Israel strikes Iran
HONG KONG: Oil prices soared more than 12 per cent and stocks sank Friday (June 13) after Israel launched "preemptive" strikes on Iranian nuclear and military sites and warned of more to come, stoking fears of a full-blown war. Investors ran for the hills on news of the attacks and a warning from Tehran that its regional foe faced a "bitter and painful" fate, while US President Donald Trump said a "massive conflict" in the region was possible. While Tel Aviv said it had struck military and nuclear targets, Iran said residential buildings had been hit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement: "This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat. "We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment programme. We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility at Natanz. We also struck at the heart of Iran's ballistic missile programme," he added. Nuclear scientists "working on the Iranian bomb" had also been hit, he said. In Teheran, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel would suffer severe consequences, issuing a statement that said: "With this crime, the Zionist regime has set itself for a bitter and painful fate and it will definitely receive it." Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had earlier cautioned that "a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future". Trump previously warned that an Israeli attack could be on the cards, telling reporters at the White House: "I don't want to say imminent, but it looks like it's something that could very well happen." The US leader said he believed a "pretty good" deal on Iran's nuclear programme was "fairly close", but that an Israeli strike on the country could wreck the chances of an agreement. A US official said there had been no US involvement in the operation. Still, there are worries the United States could be sucked into the crisis after Iran threatened this week to target US military bases in the region if a regional conflict broke out. Both main oil contracts, which had rallied earlier in the week on rising tensions, spiked more than 12 per cent -- hitting levels not seen since January -- amid fears about supplies of the commodity. The rush from risk assets to safe havens saw equity markets across Asia tumble and bonds rally with gold, which popped above US$3,400 an ounce. US and European equity futures were deep in the red. "The Middle East powder keg just blew the lid off global markets," said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management. "Equity futures are plummeting. Bond yields are sinking. Gold and oil are skyrocketing," he added. "Brent crude futures are racing toward the mid-$70s range -- but if the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for 20 per cent of global oil flows, finds itself in the blast radius, you can add another $15 to the bid. "If Iran holds back, we get a relief bounce. But if missiles start raining down on Tel Aviv or Teheran retaliates with real teeth, we're staring down a scenario that could redefine the macro narrative for the rest of 2025." Banking giant JPMorgan Chase had warned just this week that prices could top $130 if the worst-case scenario developed. Market sentiment had already been low after Trump sounded his trade war klaxon again by saying he would be sending letters within the next two weeks to other countries' governments to announce unilateral levies on their exports to the United States. The "take it or leave it" deal spurred fears he would reimpose the eye-watering tolls announced on April 2 that tanked markets before he announced a 90-day pause. - AFP
Borneo Post
an hour ago
- Borneo Post
Sarawak federation calls for delay of SST expansion, suggests GST be reintroduced
Datuk Richard Wee KUCHING (June 13): The Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations (SFCA) has called on the federal government to delay the implementation of its expanded Sales and Service Tax (SST). The expanded SST policy is scheduled to take effect on July 1. SFCA president Datuk Richard Wee suggested a more measured approach should be considered in view of the uncertainty of US President Donald Trump's tariff war against most countries. 'Until the tariff negotiation is finalised between Malaysia and the USA, our government should not burden the rakyat and the business community further. 'Although such expansion of the SST excludes essential goods, the other affected categories will definitely be impacted. And if it is implemented now, there is a possibility that a further adjustment of prices will need to be imposed,' he said when contacted. Wee said expanding the SST would increase the nation's coffers at the expense of the business community, people, and Malaysian economy. He suggested the Goods and Services Tax (GST) be reintroduced instead. 'For the longer term, the federal government should reconsider the re-introduction of GST, as GST is a more efficient taxation system and if all major countries have similar system in place, there is no reason why Malaysia could not do the same,' he explained. Early last year, the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap) suggested the federal government should reintroduce the GST in place of SST. Institute chairperson Datuk Dr Pamela Yong had said this was in view of the government's attempt to boost its revenues with the introduction of the Low Value Goods (LVG) and the still on-hold High Value Goods (HVG) taxes. 'Through our dialogues with the various business associations, GST is still the preferred choice of taxation system due to its transparency and fairness,' she said in a statement. She pointed out the abolishment of the GST in 2018 resulted in a significant revenue shortfall. 'The GST generated a robust RM44 billion in 2017, contributing significantly to the national coffers. It has been estimated that the GST had it not been abolished it would have collected around RM63.5 billion instead of RM35.8 billion in 2024,' she said. Insap also stated the SST and LVG disproportionately impact vulnerable groups. The institute said by focusing on specific goods and services, these measures often place an undue burden on lower-and middle-income groups (B40 and M40) who rely on those goods and services, contradicting the government's stated goal of promoting social equity and inclusive economic growth. 'GST is well-recognised in many advanced countries to have far better outcomes in terms of collection due to its broadband nature,' Yong said, opining it was a grave mistake to have abolished the GST in 2018. 'The priority is to address the people's burden in having to face a downturn in the global economy. This requires stimulus packages and additional fiscal spending, which could have been well supplemented by the GST, had it not been put to an end by Pakatan Harapan 1.0. 'It is time for Malaysia to put political expediency in the back seat, swallow our pride, and re-instate the GST for the sake of the people,' she stated. GST lead Richard Wee Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations SST
