Newsom Mocks Trump and Hegseth Over National Guard Deployment Confusion
Tensions flared Sunday as California Governor Gavin Newsom took a public swipe at President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over their handling of recent unrest in Los Angeles, drawing renewed attention to the strained relationship between the state and the White House.
Posting on the social platform X, Newsom ridiculed a message shared by Hegseth featuring a screenshot of Trump’s congratulatory statement praising the National Guard for quelling “two days of violence” in L.A. Newsom quickly pointed out the factual inaccuracy, saying, “The National Guard wasn’t even on the ground when Trump made that post.” He added sarcastically, “Smart guys running the operation,” before referencing a 2015 incident where Hegseth accidentally injured someone by tossing an axe on live TV: “Pete Hegseth runs the Pentagon as well as he throws axes on Fox News.”
The jabs came after Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to deploy to the Los Angeles area on Saturday in response to escalating protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The White House defended the move, citing assaults on federal agents during what they described as lawful deportation operations.
“This is about restoring law and order,” said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “Federal agents were attacked by violent mobs while simply doing their jobs. California’s Democratic leadership has failed to act, forcing the president to step in.”
According to U.S. Northern Command, some California National Guard units began arriving in L.A. early Sunday, confirming partial deployment had begun.
Newsom’s office didn’t hold back either. In a separate post, it drew a sharp contrast between the current situation and the Trump administration’s response to the January 6 Capitol riots, accusing federal officials of hypocrisy. The governor’s team criticized the Department of Homeland Security for labeling California protesters as “violent rioters,” suggesting the language was politically motivated.
This clash reflects broader political divides over immigration enforcement, federal authority, and public safety and comes at a time when both Newsom and Trump are seen as central figures in their parties’ future political ambitions.