Gavin Newsom Claims Trump Wants ‘Civil War on The Streets of America’ — Accuses Hannity of Hypocrisy On Key Issue
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) spoke to local Los Angeles Fox 11 anchor Elex Michaelson about the rioting in southern California and President Donald Trump federalizing the state’s National Guard – the first time a president has done so in 60 years.
Newsom strongly denounced the move and accused Trump of acting like a dictator. “He’s not for peacemaking. He’s here for war. He wants a civil war on the streets of America, not just here,” Newsom said, adding:
He is testing the boundaries by nationalizing the federal guard. Heck, his own great– Kristi Noem was just a year ago sitting there with newsmaker Sean Hannity saying it’s outrageous that Biden is considering nationalizing the guard in my great state. Kristi Noem, the same Kristi saying, what about state sovereignty and state rights? And where the hell is Hannity now? Where the hell is Kristi Noem? They’re out there just singing the siren songs of chaos, trying to sow chaos and putting our democracy at risk. This, these are acts of authoritarians. Period. Full stop.
Newsom was referring to a February 2024 interview Noem, now Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security, did on Fox’s Hannity, in which she called then-President Joe Biden considering federalizing the National Guard a “direct attack on states’ rights.” Notably, Newsom and Hannity have had a friendly relationship in recent years, with Newsom debating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on his show.
Michaelson also pressed Newsom on what needs to be done with the violent rioters on the streets of LA. “I’ve seen agitators getting in the way of some of these ICE agents who were trying to do their job. What should happen to them?” he asked.
“They should be arrested. They should be called out. We condemn the destruction of personal property. These groups come in, that’s nothing to do with these peaceful protesters, these poor peaceful protesters,” Newsom replied, adding:
These guys come in to take advantage of these moments, and that’s exactly what we knew would happen. That’s exactly what Trump knew was gonna happen. That’s what his team knows. They helped create these conditions to inflame them. This is Donald Trump’s mess. What you see in your nightly news is Donald Trump’s making, and we’ve gotta clean up this mess. If he can’t do it, we’re gonna have to do it.
“It was interesting, the statement you put out reminded me, I’m reading Jonathan Eig’s book about Martin Luther King, and he always tried to tell people, protest peacefully, you’re throwing– Basically, you said. That if you go out and do violence at this point, you are giving Donald Trump what he wants,” added Michaelson.
“You’re handing it to him. So stop, these guys, these idiots, that are jumping up on cars, that are burning these Waymos, these people, that’s a disgrace. And the impact they’re having on our democracy, there’s a lot at risk here. I mean, this is not just a simple act of disobedience. They should be arrested, they should be held accountable,” Newsom replied, adding:
Anyone who attacks any innocent person, including a law enforcement person that’s lawfully doing their job. They’re members of our community, just like everybody else. They go to the same churches. They’re good human beings. And just because we don’t like Donald Trump, just because they don’t like their orders, doesn’t mean you have the right to hurt or harm people. And that goes for them as well. And we’ll hold everybody to a higher level of accountability.
Michaelson reported extensively over the weekend on the ongoing violence in his city and noted that President Donald Trump had actually thanked the National Guard for quelling the protest before they had even arrived.
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