Riots exploded in Los Angeles over the weekend, and President Donald Trump ordered National Guard troops in to quell the violence.
Multiple Democrat activists and radicals immediately jumped to defend the community of migrants, including criminal illegal aliens, from the federal plan to enforce the law.
Unfair, they claimed, to bring officers against immigrants over their illegal status.
But that wasn’t it at all.
Border czar Tom Homan, assigned by Trump to crack down on illegal immigrant and crime, and to close the border left wide open during Joe Biden’s tenure, explained the real target was real criminals.
“It wasn’t an immigration raid,” Homan explained. “It was to service of three criminal warrants at locations based on a large criminal conspiracy that ICE is investigation.”
He said the raids in Los Angeles were needed because of a criminal investigation into money laundering and cartel activity.
The Daily Mail described the result: “Chaos erupted after protesters clashed with immigration officials across downtown Los Angeles, leading to three days of violence. Looters targeted businesses across the city amid the demonstrations, which saw cars torched and security forces firing tear gas at rioters.”
With local authorities unable or unwilling to bring things under control, and media saying it was just a bunch of people have a good time watching cars burn, the White House took action.
BREAKING: President Trump calls for Tom Homan to arrest Gavin Newsom:
REPORTER: “Gavin Newsom is daring Tom Holman to come and arrest him. Should he do it?”
TRUMP: “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great.” pic.twitter.com/sMujo7N9h0
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 9, 2025
Donald Trump pointed out the rioters are not “peaceful protesters” as leftists in the state claimed.
Instead, they are “troublemakers and insurrectionists.”
“That’s why no one is talking about the Fashion District, it wasn’t an immigration raid. It was to service of three criminal warrants at locations based on a large criminal conspiracy that ICE is investigating.” Homan said.
“That has to do with money laundering, tax evasion and customs fraud where a company under-declared over $80 million in goods, failed to pay $17 million in fees. And it’s part of an overall conspiracy on numerous businesses that they believe that some of this money is being laundered in Mexico and Colombia, the cartel activity.”
Arrests were not based on an illegal status for immigrants, he said, but on warrants in a criminal investigation.
One of the biggest protesters against enforcing the law was California Gavin Newsom, who appeared in interviews belligerent, demanding that Trump cancel his order for troops.
Trump then expressed his support for the idea of Homan arresting Newsom.
He made the comments after arriving at the White HJouse.
Fox News reported its reporter, Peter Doocy, asked Trump whether he though Homan should take up Newsom’s challenge.
The Democrat governor had said, “The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. 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.”
“What we discussed was for those protesters that crossed the line… you can protest, you get your First Amendment rights… But when you cross that line, you put hands on an ICE officer, or you destroy property, or I’d say that you impede law enforcement, or you’re knowingly harboring and concealing an illegal alien… that’s a crime, and the Trump administration is not going to tolerate it,” Homan said.
Homan did confirm there was no discussion of arresting Newsom.
Trump confirmed, “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing.”
Trump pointed out he actually likes Newsom: “He’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent. Everybody knows. All you have to do is look at the little railroad he’s building. It’s about 100 times over budget.”
Trump also described the rioters: “The people that are causing the problem are professional agitators. They’re insurrectionists, they’re bad people. They should be in jail.”
