White House Slams Newsom’s Address, Alleges Biden-Harris Campaign Ties in LA Protest Clash

The White House unleashed a barrage of sharp jabs at California Governor Gavin Newsom following his national address on Tuesday, where he decried the Trump administration’s response to immigration protests rocking Los Angeles. Newsom, a Democrat, accused President Donald Trump of launching an assault on democracy by deploying thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to quell the unrest.

In a biting retort, White House communications director Steven Cheung mocked Newsom’s address, comparing its poor audio quality to the governor’s leadership. Cheung suggested Newsom was more focused on producing a flashy video than governing, even alleging he hired the campaign team behind Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, who famously warned of Trump’s threat to democracy during the 2024 election.

The clash intensified as Newsom labeled Trump’s troop deployment a "brazen abuse of power," claiming it violated state sovereignty. He argued the 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines were largely idle, sitting in federal buildings without clear orders. Trump, however, justified the move as essential to prevent destruction in Los Angeles, invoking federal authority to bypass Newsom’s control over the Guard.

Other White House voices piled on. Deputy communications director Alex Pfieffer accused California of subverting democracy by resisting Trump’s immigration enforcement, while deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller sarcastically shared an image of a shirtless protester waving a California flag, implying Newsom’s vision of the Founding Fathers’ legacy was misguided.

Newsom reported over 200 arrests tied to the protests, which erupted after ICE operations in the city last Friday. He warned that Trump’s actions could set a precedent for other states, threatening democracy nationwide. The governor has also filed an emergency motion to block Trump’s use of military forces in Los Angeles, escalating the high-stakes standoff.