Lost Angeles: City burns as National Guard steps in

Tensions flared in Los Angeles on the third day of anti-deportation protests, as demonstrators clashed with law enforcement while President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom exchanged blame over the unrest and responsibility for restoring order as the President ordered the sending of the National Guard to LA.

Trump said he made "a great decision" sending the National Guard. "If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated," Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Monday.

Trump also suggested California Governor Gavin Newsom should be arrested over his handling of unrest, escalating his attacks on the state's leaders.


Trump was asked by a reporter about a back-and-forth between Newsom and White House border czar Tom Homan, who threatened arrest for anyone who obstructed immigration enforcement efforts, including the governor and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

Homan said neither leader had yet "crossed the line" but Newsom responded in an NBC News interview that the border advisor should stop bluffing and "just get it over with," saying "arrest me, let's go."

"I would do it if I were Tom. I think it's great," Trump said at the White House after returning from Camp David. "Gavin likes the publicity but I think it would be a great thing. He's done a terrible job, look - I like Gavin Newsom, he's a nice guy but he's grossly incompetent, everybody knows that."

Late on Sunday, LA Police chief Jim McDonnell said Sunday evening many of the earlier protests around the city had been peaceful, but that conditions deteriorated as people committing vandalism and violence replaced daytime demonstrators.

"This violence that I've seen is disgusting," McDonnell said at a press conference. "What we saw the first night was was bad. What we've seen subsequent to that is getting increasingly worse and more violent."