in World News Full Marine Battalion Of 500 Deploying To LA As Newsom Sues Trump Over National Guard: Report
by Tyler Durden
Update (1635ET): Approximately 500 marines – a full battalion – are being deployed to respond to the protests in Los Angeles, according to CNN, citing ‘three people familiar with the matter’ (so who knows).
Marines out of US Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine-Palms, California (where one of the ZH crew was stationed for “the worst 12 weeks of my life”), will join the National Guard troops that were activated by President Donald Trump over the weekend – in the face of strong pushback by Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass.
It is unclear what the Marines will be tasked with once in LA – as they are prohibited from conducting law enforcement activity such as making arrests unless Trump invokes the Insurrection Act (after spending the last two days calling the protests ‘insurrectionists.’
Meanwhile, Newsom is suing the Trump administration over the National Guard deployment – posting to X:
“This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted.
He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard.
The order he signed doesn’t just apply to CA.
It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing.
We’re suing him.”
Stay tuned for updates…
Earlier…
As Los Angeles grapples with escalating riots targeting ICE agents conducting immigration enforcement operations, California Governor Gavin Newsom faces a mounting cascade of crises.
On Monday – as LA continues to spiral out of control amid anti-ICE protests – which resulted in President Trump deploying the National Guard, Trump suggested that Newsom ‘should be’ arrested over his mishandling of the situation.
When asked about a back-and-forth between Newsom and White House border czar Tom Homan – who threatened to arrest anyone that obstructed immigration enforcement efforts – including the governor (though he said that neither Newsom nor LA Mayor Karen Bass had crossed the line,’ Trump said: “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great,” adding “Gavin likes the publicity but I think it would be a great thing. He’s done a terrible job, look — I like Gavin Newsom, he’s a nice guy but he’s grossly incompetent, everybody knows that.”
Trump also defended his decision to call in the National Guard, posting to Truth Social Monday that “If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated,” adding that Newsom and Bass “should be saying, ‘THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL. WE WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT YOU, SIR.”
Bessent goes Ballistic
Meanwhile over the weekend, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Newsom of threatening criminal tax evasion after the Democrat governor suggested withholding tens of billions of dollars in state payments to the federal government.
Newsom issued the threat after reports emerged saying that President Donald Trump plans major funding cuts to California while readying with costly fines for allowing a biological male to compete in girls’ sports and win multiple state titles.
“A Biological Male competed in California Girls State Finals, WINNING BIG, despite the fact that they were warned by me not to do so,” Trump recently wrote on Truth Social last week. “As Governor Gavin Newscum fully understands, large scale fines will be imposed!”
Newsom responded to Trump’s post, writing on X: “Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it’s time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump.”
Secretary Scott Bessent fired back at Newsom’s threats, warning that the governor’s actions could constitute criminal tax evasion. The top Trump administration official then said that Newsom’s plan would defraud American taxpayers and leave California residents liable for any unpaid federal taxes.
“I am certain most California businesses know that failing to pay taxes owed to the Treasury constitutes tax evasion and have no intention of following the dangerous path Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening,” Bessent said on X. “I would warn state officials, including payroll managers, that federal law attaches personal liability to an attempt to evade or defeat tax.”
“Instead of committing criminal tax evasion, Governor Newsom should consider a tax plan for California that follows the Trump Tax Cuts model and reduces the onerous state tax burden to allow families to keep more of their hard-earned money,” the Treasury secretary added, branding the governor’s plan “extremely reckless.”