California responds to Donald Trump's provocations as the US president doubles down on his challenge. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic governor of the country's most populous state, has stated that he will sue the Republican administration over the presence of the National Guard in Los Angeles, deployed in the city in response to protests over migrant detentions. Following this announcement, Trump stepped up his authoritarian rhetoric by indicating that he would welcome Newsom's arrest."That would be a great thing," he said.

Arriving at the White House from Camp David, Maryland, on Monday, Trump was asked by reporters about the clash between Newsom and White House border czar Tom Homan, who has threatened to arrest anyone who hindered immigration enforcement efforts, including the governor and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Homan said neither leader had “crossed the line” yet, but Newsom responded in an interview with NBC News that the border adviser should stop his bragging and “get it over with,” saying, “Stop me, go ahead.”

Trump responded defiantly. “I would do it if I were Tom,” the president said Monday at the White House after returning from Camp David. “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 tremendously incompetent, everyone knows that.”

The White House deployed 2,000 troops on Saturday to the California city, which is experiencing three days of protests over federal immigration raids. Since Friday, about 150 people have been detained in Los Angeles for this reason. And about 60 in San Francisco, according to senior officials cited by The New York Times. Mayor Bass told CNN on Monday that while she condemned the violence, it had occurred only on a few downtown blocks. “The riots have not spread to all of Los Angeles,” she added.

“The order [Trump] signed not only applies to California, but will allow him to enter ANY STATE to do the same thing,” Newsom said on social media. Hours earlier, Trump had sent a message promising to escalate things even further: “Things in Los Angeles are looking very bad: SEND IN THE TROOPS!!!” Upon arriving at the White House, he called protesters against immigration raids “insurrectionists.”

He also hyperbolically defended the deployment of the troops."We made a great decision sending the National Guard to address the violent riots instigated in California. If we hadn't, Los Angeles would have been completely destroyed," he wrote in Truth. In that message, he asserted that Newsom should be grateful to him.

The governor of California insists that the presence of the National Guard, which will be deployed for two months, is unnecessary, according to the memorandum signed by Trump. The state government and Los Angeles authorities maintain that most of the demonstrations against the federal raids are proceeding peacefully. Sunday's protest, the largest since they began on Friday, drew thousands of people to the city center. There were moments of tension and several acts of vandalism. The day ended with 27 people arrested by the Los Angeles police, who have carried out the bulk of the efforts to disperse and contain the protesters.

For now, the National Guard's presence is limited to guarding a federal building where undocumented immigrants detained in recent days by immigration enforcement, ICE, are being held. The guards are armed with batons, riot shields, and high-powered rifles. They haven't clashed with protesters, but their mere presence has strained the situation in downtown Los Angeles.

“There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and doing so unlawfully for so long is a serious violation of our sovereignty that appears intentionally designed to inflame the situation,” Newsom wrote in a letter to Pete Hegseth, Trump’s defense secretary. Hegseth threatened Saturday to send Navy personnel to Los Angeles if the situation is not brought under control. Newsom called the warning “insane.”

The Republican administration's border czar was in Los Angeles over the weekend to send a stern message to the city's residents."We will continue to conduct operations against immigrants every day, whether you like it or not," Homan said defiantly. The senior official promised to arrest any official who interfered with federal operations, issuing direct threats to Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom.

“He thinks he's a tough guy. Come on, he knows where I stand. Let him come here and stop me, put an end to all this… I don't give a damn,” Newsom said of Homan on Sunday night. “Maybe that way he'll stop harassing four-year-old girls who just want to go to school and get an education… These people just want to live their lives,” Newsom added.

The Democratic governor, who hasn't ruled out a run for the White House in 2028, has been endorsed by his party in this clash with Washington. Kamala Harris, the former vice president and former Democratic presidential candidate who lives in Los Angeles, has expressed her support."Protest is a powerful and essential tool for justice. As local law enforcement, the mayor, and the governor have noted, the demonstrations in defense of our undocumented neighbors have been largely peaceful," Harris wrote in a statement. Joe Biden's former vice president is considering launching a campaign to succeed Newsom as governor of California.