logo
Trump jumps at the chance for a stand-off in Los Angeles over immigration

Trump jumps at the chance for a stand-off in Los Angeles over immigration

Straits Times2 days ago

National Guard troops have been deployed in Los Angeles to quell protests arising from the Trump administration's attempts to deport migrants. PHOTO: AFP
Trump jumps at the chance for a stand-off in Los Angeles over immigration
WASHINGTON – It is the fight US President Donald Trump had been waiting for, a showdown with a top political rival in a deep blue state over an issue core to his political agenda.
In bypassing the authority of Governor Gavin Newsom of California, a Democrat, to call in the National Guard to quell protests in the Los Angeles area over his administration's efforts to deport more migrants, Mr Trump is now pushing the boundaries of presidential authority and stoking criticism that he is inflaming the situation for political gain.
Local and state authorities had not sought help in dealing with the scattered protests that erupted after an immigration raid on June 6 in the garment district.
But Mr Trump and his top aides leaned into the confrontation with California leaders on June 8, portraying the demonstrations as an existential threat to the country – setting in motion an aggressive federal response that in turn sparked new protests across the city.
As more demonstrators took to the streets, the president wrote on social media that Los Angeles was being 'invaded and occupied' by 'violent, insurrectionist mobs', and directed three of his top Cabinet officials to take any actions necessary to 'liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion'.
'Nobody's going to spit on our police officers. Nobody's going to spit on our military,' Mr Trump told reporters as he headed to Camp David on June 8, although it was unclear whether any such incidents had occurred. 'That happens, they get hit very hard.'
The president declined to say whether he planned to invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act, which allows for the use of federal troops on domestic soil to quell a rebellion. But either way, he added, 'we're going to have troops everywhere.'
Mr Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, posted on social media that 'this is a fight to save civilisation'.
Mr Trump's decision to deploy at least 2,000 members of the California National Guard is the latest example of his willingness and, at times, an eagerness to shatter norms to pursue his political goals and bypass limits on presidential power.
The last president to send in the National Guard for a domestic operation without a request from the state's governor, Lyndon B. Johnson, did so in 1965, to protect civil rights demonstrators in Alabama.
But aides and allies of the president say the events unfolding in Los Angeles provide an almost perfect distillation of why Mr Trump was elected in November.
'It could not be clearer,' said Mr Newt Gingrich, the former Republican House speaker and ally of the president who noted that Mr Trump had been focused on immigration enforcement since 2015. 'One side is for enforcing the law and protecting Americans, and the other side is for defending illegals and being on the side of the people who break the law.'
Sporadic protests have occurred across the country in recent days as federal agents have descended on Los Angeles and other cities searching workplaces for undocumented immigrants, part of an expanded effort by the administration to ramp up the number of daily deportations.
On social media, Mr Trump, his aides and allies have sought to frame the demonstrations against immigration officials on their own terms. They have shared images and videos of the most violent episodes – focusing particularly on examples of protesters lashing out at federal agents – even as many remained peaceful. Officials also zeroed in on demonstrators waving flags of other countries, including Mexico and El Salvador, as evidence of a foreign invasion.
'Illegal criminal aliens and violent mobs have been committing arson, throwing rocks at vehicles, and attacking federal law enforcement for days,' wrote Ms Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary.
Mr Newsom, whom the president refers to as 'Newscum', has long been a foil for Mr Trump, who has repeatedly targeted California and its leader as emblematic of failures of the Democratic Party.
'We expected this, we prepared for this,' Mr Newsom said in a statement to The New York Times. 'This is not surprising – for them to succeed, California must fail, and so they're going to try everything in their tired playbook despite the evidence against them.'
On June 8, the governor sent a letter to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth formally requesting that Mr Trump rescind the call-up of the National Guard, saying federal actions were inflaming the situation.
He was echoed by other Democratic officials, who said the mounting demonstrations were the result of Mr Trump's own actions.
The president and his aides 'are masters of misinformation and disinformation', Senator Alex Padilla of California, a Democrat, said in an interview.
'They create a crisis of their own making and come in with all the theatrics and cruelty of immigration enforcement. They should not be surprised in a community like Los Angeles they will be met by demonstrators who are very passionate about standing up for fundamental rights and due process.'
Republicans defended Mr Trump's moves, saying he was rightfully exercising his power to protect public safety.
'The president is extremely concerned about the safety of federal officials in LA right now who have been subject to acts of violence and harassment and obstruction,' Representative Kevin Kiley, R-California, said in an interview.
He added: 'We are in this moment because of a series of reckless decisions by California's political leaders, the aiding and abetting the open-border policies of President Biden.'
Trump officials said on June 8 that they were ready to escalate their response even more, if necessary.
Mr Tom Homan, the president's border czar, suggested in an interview with NBC News that the administration would arrest anyone, including public officials, who interfered with immigration enforcement activities, which he said would continue in California and across the country.
Mr Trump appears to be deploying against California a similar playbook that he has used to punish universities, law firms and other institutions and individuals that he views as political adversaries.
In May, he threatened to strip 'large scale' federal funding from California 'maybe permanently' over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports. And in recent days, his administration said it would pull roughly US$4 billion (S$5.15 billion) in federal funding for California's high-speed train, which would further delay a project that has long been plagued by delays and funding shortages.
'Everything he's done to attack California or anybody he fears isn't supportive of him is going to continue to be an obsession of his,' Mr Padilla said. 'He may think it plays smart for his base, but it's actually been bad for the country.'
White House officials said there was a different common denominator that explains Mr Trump's actions both against institutions like Harvard and immigration protests in Los Angeles.
'For years Democrat-run cities and institutions have failed the American people, by both choice and incompetence,' Ms Abigail Jackson, a White House spokesperson, said in a statement.
'In each instance,' she added, 'the president took necessary action to protect Americans when Democrats refused.' NYTIMES
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Russia says it is ready to remove excess nuclear materials from Iran
Russia says it is ready to remove excess nuclear materials from Iran

Straits Times

timean hour ago

  • Straits Times

Russia says it is ready to remove excess nuclear materials from Iran

MOSCOW - Russia said on Wednesday it was ready to remove nuclear materials from Iran and convert them into fuel as a potential way to help narrow differences between the United States and Iran over the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme. Tehran says it has the right to peaceful nuclear power, but its swiftly-advancing uranium enrichment programme has raised fears in the West and across the Gulf that it wants to build a nuclear weapon. The fate of Iran's uranium enrichment is at the heart of the disagreement between Washington and Tehran: U.S. President Donald Trump says that Iran cannot be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei says Iran cannot abandon enrichment. President Vladimir Putin told Trump in a phone call that he was ready to use Russia's close partnership with Iran to help with negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme, the Kremlin said last week. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, who oversees arms control and U.S. relations, told Russian media on Wednesday that efforts to reach a solution should be redoubled and that Moscow was willing to help with ideas and in practical ways. "We are ready to provide assistance to both Washington and Tehran, not only politically, not only in the form of ideas that could be of use in the negotiation process, but also practically: for example, through the export of excess nuclear material produced by Iran and its subsequent adaptation to the production of fuel for reactors," Ryabkov said. The United States wants all of Iran's highly enriched uranium (HEU) to be shipped out of the country. Tehran says it should only send out any excess amount above a ceiling that was agreed in a 2015 deal. Russia, the world's biggest nuclear power, does not want to see Iran acquire nuclear weapons, but believes it has every right to develop its own civilian nuclear programme and that any use of military force against it would be illegal and unacceptable. Moscow has bought weapons from Iran for its war in Ukraine and signed a 20-year strategic partnership deal with Tehran earlier this year. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Musk says some of his posts about Trump ‘went too far'
Musk says some of his posts about Trump ‘went too far'

Business Times

timean hour ago

  • Business Times

Musk says some of his posts about Trump ‘went too far'

[WASHINGTON] Billionaire businessman Elon Musk said on Wednesday (Jun 11) he regretted some of the posts he made last week about US President Donald Trump as they had gone 'too far'. Trump said on Saturday his relationship with Musk was over after they exchanged insults on social media, with the Tesla and SpaceX CEO describing the president's sweeping tax and spending Bill as a 'disgusting abomination.' Musk has since deleted some posts critical of Trump, including one signalling support for impeaching the president, and sources close to the world's richest man say his anger has started to subside and he may want to repair the relationship. 'I regret some of my posts about President Donald Trump last week. They went too far,' Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X on Wednesday, without saying which specific posts he was talking about. Tesla shares in Frankfurt rose 2.7 per cent after Musk's post. Musk bankrolled a large part of Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, spending nearly US$300 million in last year's US elections and taking credit for Republicans retaining a majority of seats in the House and retaking a majority in the Senate. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Trump then named him to head an effort to downsize the federal workforce and slash spending. Musk left the role late last month after criticising Trump's marquee tax Bill, calling it too expensive and a measure that would undermine his work at the Department of government Efficiency. Declaring their relationship over on Saturday, Trump said there would be 'serious consequences' if Musk decided to fund US Democrats running against Republicans who vote for the tax and spending bill. Trump also said he had no intention of repairing ties with Musk. On Monday, Trump said he would not have a problem if Musk called and that he had no plans to discontinue the Starlink satellite Internet provided to the White House by Musk's SpaceX but might move his Tesla off-site. 'We had a good relationship, and I just wish him well,' Trump said. Musk responded with a heart emoji to a video on X showing Trump's remarks. REUTERS

Japan remains cautious on tariff impact in June econ report
Japan remains cautious on tariff impact in June econ report

CNA

timean hour ago

  • CNA

Japan remains cautious on tariff impact in June econ report

TOKYO :Japan's government reiterated its warning on the risks from U.S. tariffs on economic growth, saying in a monthly report on Wednesday that the potential impact on corporate profits needed attention. The economy faces pressure from U.S. import levies of 24 per cent from July unless officials can negotiate them down. Japan's government is also seeking an exemption for its carmakers from a separate 25 per cent import tariff on vehicles. Japan's gross domestic product shrank an annualised 0.2 per cent in the January-March quarter, even before U.S. President Donald Trump announced his so-called "reciprocal" tariffs on April 2. "The economy is recovering moderately, while uncertainty is arising from U.S. trade policies," the Cabinet Office said in its monthly report for June released on Wednesday, keeping the assessment unchanged for a third month. In addition to tariffs, the report maintained its reference to "the effect of continued price rises on household sentiment and consumption" as another negative risk to the economy. It also noted that corporate profits were recovering, citing first-quarter business statistics, but added a fresh reference to the potential impact of trade disruptions. "With some firms withholding financial forecasts amid uncertainties surrounding U.S. tariffs, their impact on earnings may come to light only in the data for the April-June quarter or beyond," an official at the Cabinet Office told a press briefing. While no significant impact from U.S. tariffs on Japan's export volumes has been seen so far, trade trends from May onwards required attention, the official added. On wages, this spring's pay negotiations probably led to an average raise of more than 5 per cent, exceeding last year's, although smaller firms lagged bigger companies, the official said, based on the national labour group Rengo's data. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said earlier this week that his ruling party would pledge to achieve growth of more than 50 per cent in Japan's average income by 2040 in campaigning for the upper house elections next month.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store