House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said California Gov. Gavin Newsom “ought to be tarred and feathered” as riots continue in Los Angeles.
“That’s not my lane. I’m not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested but he ought to be tarred and feathered, I’ll say that,” Johnson said.
“I mean, look he’s standing in the way of the, the administration and the carrying out of federal law, right? He, he is applauding the bad guys and standing in the way of the good guys,” he continued.
WATCH:
Q: "Do you believe that Newsom should face consequences in a legal way?"
.@SpeakerJohnson: "That's not my lane. I'm not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested but he ought to be tarred and feathered, I'll say that." pic.twitter.com/7C50t1rrE6
— CSPAN (@cspan) June 10, 2025
Per USA TODAY:
Johnson also criticized Newsom for filing a lawsuit against Trump for sending the California National Guard to Los Angeles over his objections.
“What a joke,” Johnson said. “Do your job, man.”
ADVERTISEMENTThe House speaker also said protests can quickly get out of hand in large cities.
“If local and state officials are unwilling or unable to do their job, the president of the United States will do his and we support that fully,” Johnson said.
The last time a president called in the National Guard over the objections of the state governor was in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to escort civil rights marchers participating in the Selma-Montgomery March in Alabama.
“Good to know we’re skipping the arrest and going straight for the 1700’s style forms of punishment,” Newsom commented.
“A fitting threat given the @GOP want to bring our country back to the 18th Century,” he added.
Good to know we’re skipping the arrest and going straight for the 1700’s style forms of punishment.
A fitting threat given the @GOP want to bring our country back to the 18th Century. https://t.co/0Ck1Xk3IEL
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 10, 2025
After Newsom dared Border Czar Tom Homan to arrest him, President Trump told reporters he would arrest the governor.
“I would do it, if I were Tom,” Trump said.
“I like Gavin Newsom. He’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent, everybody knows that,” he added.
WATCH:
🚨 #BREAKING: President Trump says Tom
Homan should ARREST Gavin Newsom“I would do it if I were Tom!”
DO IT @RealTomHoman! Newsom is AIDING AND ABETTING criminals and OBSTRUCTING federal law! pic.twitter.com/MOlpET96eo
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 9, 2025
“The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America,” Newsom said.
“I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism,” he added.
The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor.
This is a day I hoped I would never see in America.
I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward… pic.twitter.com/tsTX1nrHAu
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 9, 2025
Axios reports:
The comments come amid a growing clash between Democrats and Republicans on how to handle a wave of recent protests in Los Angeles against Trump’s deportation campaign.
Trump has mobilized the California National Guard and U.S. Marines in response to acts of vandalism, with demonstrators torching cars and scuffling with police.
Newsom and other Democrats have accused the administration of escalating the situation and mobilizing the National Guard unconstitutionally without the state’s consent.
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