Trump Admin Accuses Newsom Of 'Crass Political Stunt' In Legal Filing
By Jesus Mesa and Hannah Parry
The Trump administration has accused California Governor Gavin Newsom of performing a "crass political stunt" over his lawsuit aimed at blocking the deployment of U.S. Marines and the National Guard in the Los Angeles riots.
In a legal filing opposing Newsom's request for a temporary restraining order, lawyers for the administration argued that the governor was "endangering American lives" by attempting to prevent Trump from "exercising his lawful statutory and constitutional power."
Why It Matters
The court filing came after several days of violent protests in Los Angeles targeting federal immigration enforcement, which led the Trump administration to activate 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines to help restore order. It also comes at a time when the public clash between Newsom and Trump is escalating.
For the Democratic governor, the growing presence of National Guard troops and Marines in California's largest city reflects a power grab—evidence, he says, that "democracy is under assault." Trump, on the other hand, argues that the deployment of thousands of guardsmen and Marines is necessary in response to protester violence, including car fires and attacks on police with debris and fireworks.
What To Know
In a federal response filed on Tuesday opposing a temporary restraining order requested by California, attorneys for Trump said that Newsom's legal action "endanger[s] American lives" and sought to "judicially countermand the Commander in Chief's military directives."
The administration's legal brief sharply defended the president's authority, arguing that "there is no rioters' veto to enforcement of federal law," and asserting that the federal response was necessitated by local law enforcement's failure to quell escalating violence.
"The LAPD and other local and state law enforcement have been unable to bring order to the city," the Justice Department wrote, citing reports of concrete chunks and fireworks being hurled at federal officers and buildings.
Newsom had asked a U.S. District Court in San Francisco to block the deployments, claiming they usurped his authority over the state's National Guard and violated constitutional protections under the Tenth Amendment. In a statement issued shortly after the federal call-up, Newsom criticized the federal action as "the wrong mission," but acknowledged that the White House had informed him in advance.
"The federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers," Newsom said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on June 7.
Gavin Newsom Donald Trump
President Donald Trump (R) speaks with California Governor Gavin Newsom after arriving on Air Force One at Los Angeles International Airport on January 24, 2025. AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File
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The court filing, lodged in Gavin Newsom v. Donald J. Trump, argued that the president's actions were both constitutionally permitted and urgently required.
"There is no textual basis in the statute for either the Court or Plaintiffs to second-guess the President's determination that the conditions to call forth the Guard are met," the government lawyers wrote.
They also pointed to extensive damage to federal buildings, attacks on officers, and calls for help from overwhelmed agents during the protests.
The administration cited precedent from Martin v. Mott (1827), asserting that "the authority to decide whether the exigency has arisen belongs exclusively to the President, and that his decision is conclusive upon all other persons."
They further accused Newsom of "fail[ing] to comply with President Trump's lawful order to federalize California's guardsmen," alleging that the governor instead issued "a press release objecting to the presidential memorandum."
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump, on Truth Social: "If I hadn't 'SENT IN THE TROOPS' to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great city would be burning to the ground right now—much like the 25,000 houses that burned to the ground in L.A. due to an incompetent governor and mayor."
California Governor Gavin Newsom, on X: "U.S. Marines serve a valuable purpose for this country—defending democracy. They are not political pawns. The Secretary of Defense is illegally deploying them onto American streets so Trump can have a talking point at his parade this weekend."
Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy, on X: "The political leaders of California and Los Angeles are siding with the insurrectionist mobs fighting to dissolve America rather than with the heroes of ICE, who are fighting to save America."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during a congressional hearing on Wednesday: "The mission in Los Angeles, as you know well, sir, is not about lethality. It's about maintaining law and order on behalf of law enforcement agents who deserve to do their job without being attacked by mobs of people."
What Happens Next
In a final argument against judicial interference, the Justice Department cited past crises: "Courts did not interfere when President Eisenhower deployed the military to protect school desegregation. Courts did not interfere when President Nixon deployed the military to deliver the mail in the midst of a postal strike. And courts should not interfere here either."
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