Trump Threatens to Arrest Governor Newsom

This week brought an authoritarian escalation: President Trump publicly endorsed the idea of arresting California Governor Gavin Newsom amid the crackdown in Los Angeles.

Federal-State Collision

On June 8, Trump’s appointed “border czar” Tom Homan threatened that officials—specifically naming Governor Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass—“could face charges” for impeding federal law enforcement efforts.

Within hours, President Trump told reporters, “I’d do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great,” referring to Newsom. “He’s grossly incompetent … Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing.”

Newsom’s Defiant Response

Governor Newsom responded, “Come and get me, tough guy. I don’t give a damn,” calling the threat “an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism”

Legal teams in California have already filed Newsom v. Trump, a lawsuit challenging Trump’s unfettered federalization of the National Guard and threatening state sovereignty

Militarized Tone

This feud escalates alongside sweeping ICE raids and mass deployments of National Guard soldiers and Marines to Los Angeles—including over 4,000 Guardsmen and 700 Marines, all without state approval.

Trump’s rhetoric grows more extreme: “officials who stand in the way of law and order … will face judges,” and Newsom was labeled “a completely inappropriate and misguided mission” by Senate allies.

Why This Matters for Ohio

This is not just California’s fight. It echoes the same trends we’re tracking here in Portage County:

  • Deploying military and federal agents domestically to suppress immigration dissent.
  • Threatening arrest for state and local leaders who publicly oppose federal actions.
  • Turning civil disagreements—ICE raids, Q‑Anons, trans politics—into potential criminal or military targets.

If a U.S. President can threaten to jail an elected governor, next could be the mayor, the school board, or even local protest leaders.

When national leaders threaten local officials with arrest, it’s not a stunt—it’s an authoritarian test. We’re part of the lab. Resist it.

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