Trump demands apology from LA officials over riots
US President Donald Trump has called on California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to apologize for what he described as a 'horrible' failure to control violent unrest in the city. Trump accused demonstrators in LA of being 'paid insurrectionists' and held local leaders responsible for an escalation of clashes over the weekend.
In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump wrote: 'Governor Gavin Newscum and 'Mayor' Bass should apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots. These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists. Remember, NO MASKS!'
In a separate post, he added: 'Paid Insurrectionists!'
Violence broke out in the city of Paramount on Saturday, where protesters confronted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers outside a Home Depot store. Tensions escalated and officers deployed tear gas and less-lethal rounds to disperse the crowd.
The White House confirmed that Trump had ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles County, citing several days of protests and attacks on federal personnel. Around 300 Guard members are currently deployed, with 500 Marines on standby.
Large groups gathered on the 101 Freeway on Sunday. The California Highway Patrol moved to clear the southbound lanes between the 110 and 5/10 interchanges. Videos showed protesters waving Mexican flags and chanting 'Viva la Raza' as traffic was halted.
Footage posted online showed individuals throwing explosives at mounted police officers and burning American flags in the streets of downtown Los Angeles.
According to the LAPD Central Division, concrete and bottles were thrown at officers, prompting a dispersal order around Alameda and Temple Streets.
The FBI said it was seeking a man suspected of assaulting a federal officer and damaging government property during the unrest. A reward of up to $50,000 is being offered for information leading to his arrest and conviction.
Newsom denounced the federal deployment as 'illegal' and said the state was not properly consulted. He accused Trump of misrepresenting the timeline of the military presence and announced plans to file a lawsuit.
The governor also urged demonstrators to stay calm. 'Don't give Trump what he wants,' he wrote on X.
White House immigration adviser Tom Homan defended the federal response, stating that immigration enforcement would continue 'every day' in Los Angeles. He warned that local officials who obstruct federal operations could face arrest. Homan criticized California's sanctuary policies and called Newsom 'an embarrassment for the state.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Trump says he could forgive Musk
US President Donald Trump says he could forgive Elon Musk after a public falling-out that saw the Tesla CEO lash out over one of the administration's flagship policy initiatives. The dispute between the two men, who were once close allies, turned ugly last week over what Trump called his 'Big Beautiful' tax and spending bill. Musk, who recently stepped down as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), repeatedly criticized the bill, arguing it undermined his efforts to cut waste from the federal budget. Musk accused Trump of 'ingratitude,' while backing calls for his impeachment and threatening to hamstring the US space program by grounding the Dragon spacecraft. Trump fired back, saying Musk had 'gone crazy,' blaming the spat on the end of the 'EV mandate' – a reference to federal incentives that had benefited Tesla. Musk responded with a now-deleted post that linked Trump to deceased convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. In an interview published by The New York Post on Wednesday, Trump said 'I have no hard feelings. But I was really surprised that that happened.' He called the bill 'phenomenal' and said he was disappointed by Musk's response. 'When he did that, I was not a happy camper.' Asked if he could forgive Musk, Trump replied: 'I guess I could,' adding that he was now focused on how to 'straighten out the country.' Hours before the interview aired, Musk appeared to say he was sorry about attacking the president. He wrote on X that he regrets 'some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week,' adding that 'They went too far.' Musk did not clarify which of his posts he was referring to. Media reports have suggested that his associates and the White House are engaged in backchannel communications aimed at easing tensions. Asked about the apology in a follow-up call with the Post on Wednesday morning, Trump said: 'I thought it was very nice that he (Musk) did that.'
Russia Today
4 hours ago
- Russia Today
Musk expresses ‘regret' for attacks on Trump
Elon Musk has said he went 'too far' with some of his recent social media posts targeting US President Donald Trump. The two traded threats and insults online last week, in a row that was widely viewed as an end of their 'bromance.' 'I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far,' Musk said on his X account early on Wednesday morning. Musk claims he sponsored Trump's run for a second term in the White House to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, which he insists was crucial for the Republican candidate's victory last November. After taking office, Trump appointed Musk to serve as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), tasked with slashing wasteful government expenditure. In recent weeks, however, the tech entrepreneur has emerged as a vocal critic of Trump's so-called 'big, beautiful bill' that requires Congressional approval to fund the president's second term policy priorities. Musk branded the proposal full of 'pork' and claimed it reneged on the campaign promise to decrease the federal debt. Trump claimed last week that Musk opposed the bill out of self-interest, which triggered a barrage of increasingly hostile posts between the pair. The president branded Musk 'crazy,' while the tech billionaire alleged that Trump was complicit in the sex offenses of late financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Musk later deleted the post. Musk did not specify which of his previous posts he now found regrettable. Media reports have suggested that his associates and the White House were engaged in backchannel communications in a bid to deflate the tensions. Trump publicly said he was not interested in direct contacts with Musk, but later appeared to tone down his rhetoric toward the entrepreneur.
Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Russia Today
Ukraine membership out of NATO summit statement
The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO will not be mentioned in the declaration at the bloc's summit later this month, Bloomberg has reported. Kiev has long sought to become a member of the US-led organization, an aim that Russia views as a threat to its national security. The one-page draft statement, which was seen by the outlet, focuses solely on NATO's spending goals, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The document could still be subject to change. The summit in The Hague will reportedly include only a dinner with the king of the Netherlands and a single working session. The 'brevity' of both the declaration and the gathering is reportedly designed to minimize potential public disagreements between US President Donald Trump and other NATO leaders. 'Notably absent from the statement is the prospect of Ukraine joining the military alliance,' Bloomberg wrote. Last year's military assistance pledge worth $45 billion will not be renewed either, the report added. In July 2024, then-Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged the bloc's members to make a multi-year commitment to keep providing military aid for Kiev. Annual spending across the bloc should have amounted to €40 billion ($45 billion) each year under that scheme. This year, NATO members are only expected to commit to allocating at least 3.5% of their GDP to defense by 2032 and to spend an additional 1.5% on protecting infrastructure and ensuring civil preparedness. The bloc is considering allowing its members to count military assistance to Kiev toward the spending goals, according to Bloomberg. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte wants the summit to become a 'win' for Trump, who has repeatedly called on the bloc's members to spend at least 5% of their GDP on defense, Bloomberg reported, citing its sources. Earlier this month, AFP reported that NATO leaders would avoid discussing Ukraine's membership at the upcoming summit in a bid to alleviate tensions between the US and EU. The US president, who is seeking to facilitate a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, has ruled out the possibility of Kiev joining NATO. Russia views the military bloc's eastward expansion as a threat, and has cited it as one of the root causes of the Ukraine conflict. Russian officials have on numerous occasions stated that admitting Ukraine into the bloc would be crossing a red line and has insisted that the country remain neutral.
