US President Donald J. Trump has called on California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to apologise to the people of Los Angeles for what he described as their “absolutely horrible job,” in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that has gained significant traction on social media. Trump wrote, “Governor Gavin Newscum and ‘Mayor’ Bass should apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots. These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists. Remember, NO MASKS!”
The post, shared by entrepreneur Elon Musk, has garnered over 6.5 million views as of Monday morning. Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticised President Trump on his official X handle, accusing him of fuelling unrest by deploying federal troops without local consent. “Let’s be clear: Local law enforcement did not require assistance. Yet, Trump sent troops anyway–with the intent to create chaos and violence. He succeeded. Now, the situation is destabilized, and additional law enforcement is needed to clean up the mess he caused,” Newsom wrote.
His post comes amid a growing debate over the role of federal authorities in state-level law enforcement, with Newsom blaming Trump for worsening tensions instead of restoring order. Newsom further denounced the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles as “purposefully inflammatory,” calling President Trump’s order an undermining of state authority. “These are the acts of a dictator, not a President,” he added on X. The deployment of California National Guard troops came as authorities sought to contain escalating protests in Los Angeles over President Trump’s immigration crackdown, Reuters reported.
The third day of demonstrations saw federal agents clash with protesters across the city, as tensions flared over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and detentions of undocumented immigrants. According to Reuters, the White House-ordered deployment has sparked sharp backlash from California officials, who described the move as unlawful and politically motivated. President Donald J. Trump has called for immediate federal action in Los Angeles, alleging that the city has been “invaded and occupied by illegal aliens and criminals,” and is currently facing violent unrest.
In a statement posted on X, Trump claimed that “violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations,” vowing that such “lawless riots only strengthen our resolve.” Trump directed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi to coordinate with 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.”
He asserted that “order will be restored, the illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free,” urging the public to pay close attention to the developments. The protests erupted after ICE conducted raids across Los Angeles, arresting dozens of undocumented immigrants. In response to the unrest, Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to restore order during the demonstrations.
