Trump insists riots would have ‘completely obliterated' LA without National Guard and demands Dems say ‘THANK YOU'
A lawmaker warned the chaos is the 'tip of the iceberg'
LA DESTRUCTION Trump insists riots would have 'completely obliterated' LA without National Guard and demands Dems say 'THANK YOU'
DONALD Trump has doubled down on his decision to send the National Guard to Los Angeles after days of unrest in the city.
The president said California Governor Gavin Newsom should be thanking him for deploying the troops to protests downtown against federal immigration raids.
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A protester jumps over a burning car with his bike in Los Angeles on Sunday
Credit: The Mega Agency
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Masked rioters wave a Mexican flag while standing on top of a burning self-driving car in Los Angeles
Credit: Getty
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LAPD officers shoot rubber bullets at protesters as they march through the streets on horseback
Credit: Getty
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A burning Waymo taxi near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles
Credit: Getty
However, Newsom was furious with Trump's decision to send federal service members without his permission and slammed the move as "illegal" and "immoral," as he plans to bring a lawsuit against the Trump administration over it.
Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, insist that the peaceful protests turned into riots on Sunday night only in response to the National Guard showing up.
But Trump said on Monday the city would be "completely obliterated" if he hadn't mobilized the Guard.
"We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California. If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated," he wrote on Truth Social.
"The very incompetent 'Governor,' Gavin Newscum, and 'Mayor,' Karen Bass, should be saying, 'THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. WE WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT YOU, SIR.'"
He continued, "Instead, they choose to lie to the People of California and America by saying that we weren't needed, and that these are 'peaceful protests.'"
Rioters looted shops, set self-driving Waymo cars on fire, and blocked off the 101 Freeway on Sunday night after the National Guard was deployed.
Cops used tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls to push back the protesters, even shooting a TV reporter with rubber bullets live on air at the terrifying scene.
Newsom has asked Trump to withdraw the troops and threatened to sue the Trump administration after the president authorized 2,000 troops to storm the city.
This is the first time in decades that a state's National Guard has been activated without the governor's permission, which Newsom called a "serious breach of state sovereignty."
On Truth Social, Trump called for anyone hiding their identities behind masks to be arrested immediately.
He added, "Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free."
Now, 500 Marines are waiting in a "prepared to deploy" status at a base that sits about 142 miles east of Los Angeles.
The city is bracing for more violent clashes on Monday as Trump's new travel ban comes into effect, furthering his crackdown on immigration.
More than 100 people were arrested in ICE raids last week as agents targeted the city of Paramount, which has a predominantly Latino population in Los Angeles.
LAPD chiefs have now voiced concerns over the use of deadly weapons by the rioters.
Trump vowed to support law enforcement in the protests and said he will make sure his administration "sends whatever we need to make sure there's law and order."
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LAPD Metropolitan Division officers clash with demonstrators
Credit: Getty
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Dozens of self-driving cars were set on fire by rioters
Credit: Getty
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Police officers take cover under an overpass on Highway 101 in downtown Los Angeles as activists lob rocks and fireworks at their vehicles
Credit: Getty
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