According to California Legal Affairs Secretary David Sapp, “there is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation.”
Over the weekend, Newsom sparred with Trump on social media, saying that he was manufacturing a crisis and inflaming conditions by sending in the guard troops. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Sunday on NPR that bringing the National Guard to the city felt “provocative.”
“What was happening in terms of the protest and all was well under control by the police department,” she said. “Our law enforcement officers are well-equipped here to handle the level of protest that you saw, and that’s why Gov. Newsom did not make the request for federal support, and neither did I, in terms of we thought more support was needed that our local law enforcement couldn’t handle.”
In his order Saturday night, Trump justified the deployment by citing that there were security threats at federal property — including detention centers — brought on by protests.
“To the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States,” he wrote.
California’s lawsuit is expected to be filed Monday morning.
