Protesters clashing with authorities in the streets of Los Angeles. U.S. Marines and National Guard troops deployed. A lawsuit. The president suggesting the governor of the nation’s largest state should be arrested.
The spring of 2025 is ushering in one of the biggest showdowns of Donald Trump’s second term, as the president and California Gov. Gavin Newsom engage in a battle of political heavyweights.
The conflict has major implications as Newsom warns Trump is acting like a “dictator” by deploying California National Guard troops without the governor’s consent, and the president insists he’s trying to keep the peace amid growing unrest over his immigration policies and that Democratic state leaders should be put behind bars if they obstruct the federal government.
More: 700 Marines being sent to LA for riot assistance in response to protests
“This is a high-stakes game,” said Sonoma State University political science professor David McCuan.
