‘I would do it’: Trump says he would arrest Newsom

(FOX40.COM) — President Donald Trump said he thinks California Gov. Gavin Newsom should be arrested following border czar Tom Homan’s suggestion that he would have state officials, including Newsom, arrested if they obstructed immigration enforcement efforts.

“I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great,” Trump told reporters, according to The Hill. “…Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing. Look, I like Gavin Newsom. He’s a nice guy. But he’s grossly incompetent.”

Newsom said the threat was a step toward authoritarianism.

“The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor,” Newsom posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”

The sparring comes amid protests in Los Angeles over raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers.

In response, the White House deployed the state’s National Guard to the city.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday afternoon that the state is suing the Trump administration.

“President Trump’s order calling federalized National Guard troops into Los Angeles – over the objections of the Governor and local law enforcement – is unnecessary and counterproductive,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said. “Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion. The President is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends. Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the President’s authority under the law – and not one we take lightly. We’re asking a court to put a stop to the unlawful, unprecedented order.”

In a press release about the suit, Newsom noted that Trump and United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem have previously voiced opposition to moving the National Guard in a state without a governor’s approval.