Trump’s Swift National Guard Move in LA Riots Clashes with Newsom, Echoes 2020

President Donald Trump didn’t hesitate when riots erupted in Los Angeles County over the weekend, swiftly activating 4,100 National Guard troops and deploying Marines to restore order. The move, a sharp contrast to his more restrained approach during the 2020 Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots, has sparked debate and drawn legal fire from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who’s now suing over the federal intervention.

In 2020, after George Floyd’s death, cities like Minneapolis burned as governors, including Minnesota’s Tim Walz, delayed National Guard deployments. Trump’s team, led by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, says the swift action in LA was designed to prevent a repeat of that chaos. Noem pointed to Walz’s hesitation, which saw Minneapolis’ Third Precinct police station torched, as a cautionary tale. ‘We’re not letting 2020 happen again,’ she said, emphasizing the Guard’s role in maintaining peace.

Back then, Trump leaned on governors to handle their states’ unrest, even as looting and arson spread. His threat to federalize Minnesota’s Guard came only after days of violence. This time, he acted decisively, bypassing Newsom’s objections. The National Guard, typically under state control, can be federalized by the president in crises—a power Trump wielded without apology.

The 2020 riots saw 32 states and Washington, D.C., activate over 32,000 Guard troops, but only after widespread destruction. Critics, like Sen. Tom Cotton, urged Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act, a step so contentious it led to a retracted New York Times op-ed. Today, Trump’s proactive stance signals a shift, with DHS Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar stressing that ‘violent radicals’ won’t be allowed to overwhelm LA’s law enforcement.

Newsom’s lawsuit frames the deployment as federal overreach, but Trump’s supporters argue it’s a necessary stand against chaos. As tensions simmer, the nation watches whether this bold move quells the unrest or fuels further conflict.