I don't want a civil war: Trump on LA protests
4 Min Read
US President Donald Trump threatened harsh responses to protesters who allegedly spit at National Guard troops in Los Angeles amid ongoing immigration protests.
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A California Highway Patrol officer pulls an electric scooter off a vehicle on a highway as protesters throw objects at the police vehicles near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP)
US President Donald Trump warned that those who spit in the face of National Guard troops deployed in Los Angeles amid ongoing protests against his administration's crackdown on illegal immigration would be "hit" hard, making the statement on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Trump stated that he would back the potential arrest of California Governor Gavin Newsom, blaming him for his alleged involvement in the violent riots erupting across the state.
"'If they spit, we will hit.' This is a statement from the president of the United States concerning the catastrophic Gavin Newsom-inspired riots going on in Los Angeles. The Insurrectionists have a tendency to spit in the face of the National Guardsmen/women, and others." Trump said on his social media platform, Truth Social.
These Patriots are told to accept this, it’s just the way life runs. But not in the Trump Administration. IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!" the US president added.
When asked to comment on California Governor Gavin Newsom’s claim that Trump wants a civil war on the streets, Trump stated, " No, it's just the opposite."
"I don't want a civil war. Civil War would happen if you left it, if you left it to people like him. And I liked him, you know, I always got along with him. Never had a problem with him, but he's grossly incompetent," Trump said.
A US official told Reuters that the military has temporarily deployed approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles while awaiting the arrival of National Guard troops.
LA protests 'simmering': Trump
The US president remarked on Monday that Los Angeles continued to show signs of simmering unrest, though not at a particularly severe level, after experiencing multiple days of violent demonstrations sparked by protests against the deportation of undocumented immigrants.
"It's lucky for the people in Los Angeles and in California that we did what we did. We got it just in time. It's still simmering a little bit, but not very much," Trump said to reporters, noting that the California governor is destroying one of the US's greatest states.
ICE raids plunge LA into chaos
On June 7, a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation targeting undocumented immigrants in downtown Los Angeles spiraled into violent confrontations with demonstrators.
Authorities asserted that the operations focused on apprehending undocumented immigrants and alleged gang affiliates, while community members argue that the actions carry political undertones and appear intentionally provocative in a city widely regarded as one of the nation's most progressive strongholds.
On the same day, Newsom warned that California might withhold federal tax payments in retaliation against potential large-scale funding cuts by the Trump administration. Washington deployed 2,000 National Guard troops amid the protests.
Tensions flared as President Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard sparked violent clashes with police and fueled public anger, especially in communities with significant Latino residents. For a third straight day, protesters battled law enforcement officers in response to immigration crackdowns that have led to numerous detentions.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California criticized Trump for overstepping state jurisdiction, denouncing the National Guard mobilization as "a serious breach of state sovereignty".
Newsom took to X to state, "We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved, this is inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed, so rescind the order and return control to California."
