President Trump has federalized 2,000 California National Guard forces, deploying them to quell escalating violence and ensure public safety in Los Angeles. The decision comes as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, in an exclusive interview with “Face the Nation,” sharply criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of the unrest, asserting that his “bad decisions” necessitated federal intervention.
Secretary Noem, speaking from her home state of South Dakota, strongly defended the President’s actions.
“President Trump is putting the safety of the communities that are being impacted by these riots and by these protests that have turned violent, and he’s putting the safety of our law enforcement officers first,” Noem stated. She clarified that the deployed National Guard soldiers are “specifically trained for this type of crowd situation,” tasked with providing security around buildings, protecting peaceful protesters, and safeguarding law enforcement.
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The federal deployment comes amidst reports of chaos and destruction, with Noem citing incidents of “officers with a shattered wrist from bricks being thrown through their vehicles, their vehicles being burned, flags being burned in the street, and Molotov cocktails being thrown.”
These disturbing accounts paint a clear picture of the anarchy that has gripped parts of Los Angeles, a situation Noem directly attributed to Governor Newsom’s perceived inaction.
“If he was doing his job, then people wouldn’t have gotten hurt the last couple of days,” Noem declared, dismissing Newsom’s claims of having the situation under control. She further accused the governor of making “bad decisions,” stating, “The President knows that he makes bad decisions, and that’s why the President chose the safety of this community over waiting for Governor Newsom to get some sanity.” This strong rebuke highlights a growing chasm between federal and state leadership regarding their approaches to domestic unrest.
Noem also highlighted the critical role of ICE operations in combating criminal elements exploiting the protests.
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She proudly reported the apprehension of “horrible people” – gang members involved in assault, drug trafficking, and human trafficking – crediting ICE’s efforts for making communities safer. This emphasis on tackling underlying criminality contrasts sharply with what many conservatives view as a lax approach by some progressive local authorities.
The interview also touched upon the contentious issue of mask-wearing at protests, with President Trump reportedly banning them.
While Noem did not explicitly state that National Guard soldiers would enforce this, she reiterated that “the law is going to be enforced,” implying a firm stance against anonymity that could facilitate illegal activities. She justified law enforcement officers covering their faces for “safety of those individuals or the work that they’re doing as far as protecting their identity so they can continue to do investigative work.”
Regarding the potential deployment of active-duty troops, Noem maintained that her hope is always for local leaders to “do their jobs.”
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However, she expressed profound frustration with the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) delayed responses, recounting instances where LAPD reportedly “waited hours to respond” to dangerous situations. “That’s what America’s about is- is that we have rules and we have laws,” Noem asserted, advocating for a robust enforcement of existing statutes rather than succumbing to lawlessness.
When pressed on her personal counsel to the President regarding active-duty troops, Secretary Noem remained steadfastly loyal, emphasizing that “ICE and Homeland Security are running these operations right now” and that the President makes the ultimate decisions.
She lauded the leadership of President Trump, as well as Pete Hegseth and Pam Bondi, expressing pride in working for an administration committed to upholding law and order.
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The protests, Noem noted, began “long before we ended up in the situations that we saw when we were trying to secure these individuals,” referring to the detention of undocumented immigrants at the Edward Roybal Center. She defended the actions of law enforcement, emphasizing the challenging and dangerous circumstances they faced when violence erupted.
Secretary Noem’s interview provides a clear picture of a Trump administration that is unwilling to tolerate continued unrest and firmly believes that decisive action, even if it overrides state preferences, is necessary to protect American citizens and uphold the rule of law.
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