US President Donald Trump on Sunday talked about his decision to deploy National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against immigration raids, framing the move as essential to restoring law and order.Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One, departing for Camp David, Trump claimeddemonstrators had engaged in physical provocation, justifying a tough federal response.“They spit and worse, you know, what they throw at them, right?” Trump said. “And when that happens, I have a little statement. They spit, we hit. And I told them, nobody’s going to spit on our police officers, nobody’s going to spit on our military. Which they do, is a common thing. They get up to them this far away and then they start spitting in their face. That happens. They get hit very hard.”“I mean, if we see danger to our country and to our citizens, it will be very, very strong in terms of law and order,” he continued, adding, “It’s about law and order. We’re going to be watching it very closely.”
‘Los Angeles will be set free’
After his statement to reporters, Trump took to his social media platform to announce further action against the anti-immigration protests, calling it an “invasion” multiple times.“A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals. Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations — But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve,” he said.Announcing his next steps, he added, “I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, in coordination with all other relevant Departments and Agencies, to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots. Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Trump’s comments came soon after troops deployed to a Los Angeles detention center used tear gas to disperse a group of demonstrators protesting the latest wave of raids by US immigration agents. The protests, now in their second day, have sparked tensions across the city and drawn condemnation from state leaders.California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed the troop deployment, calling it an attempt to “manufacture a crisis.” However, the White House said the move was legally justified under Title 10, a seldom-used provision allowing the president to federalize the National Guard during instances of rebellion or threats to federal authority.While Trump has not yet invoked the US Insurrection Act, which would expand his authority to deploy active-duty military forces for domestic law enforcement, he signaled openness to further action. “We’re looking at troops everywhere. We’re not going to let this happen to our country,” he said. When asked what threshold would lead him to send in the Marines instead of Guardsmen, he replied: “The bar is what I think it is.”