Newsom embarrasses himself with petty attack on National Guard deployment while chaos engulfs Los Angeles

California Governor Gavin Newsom once again proved that political grandstanding matters more to him than public safety, as he took to social media Sunday to mock Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Trump over their efforts to restore order in the streets of Los Angeles.

With the city wracked by violent protests and clashes targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, Newsom appeared more concerned with scoring cheap political points than with ensuring that citizens and law enforcement officers were protected from the escalating unrest.

The controversy began when Defense Secretary Hegseth shared on the platform X a screenshot of a Truth Social post from President Trump. The President had congratulated the National Guard for doing a great job in Los Angeles following two days of violence, clashes, and unrest.

Rather than appreciating the effort to stabilize a deteriorating situation, Newsom seized the opportunity to post a snide response on X, dripping with sarcasm.

Calling Hegseth and Trump “smart guys,” Newsom claimed that the National Guard had not yet been deployed on the ground at the time of Trump’s post.

He also resurrected a years-old, irrelevant incident involving Hegseth accidentally striking a man with an axe during a Fox News segment in 2015, suggesting that Hegseth runs the Pentagon as poorly as he throws an axe.

This petty attempt at humor exposed Newsom’s priorities in a moment when real leadership was required.

In stark contrast to Newsom’s juvenile commentary, President Trump acted decisively on Saturday by authorizing the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members to the Los Angeles area.

The White House made it clear that this was not an arbitrary move, but a necessary response to what had become a dangerous situation. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that violent mobs had recently attacked federal law enforcement agents conducting basic deportation operations, undermining public order and posing a serious threat to officers and civilians alike.

Leavitt rightfully criticized California’s Democrat leadership, noting that they had abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens. In the face of this failure, Trump’s Presidential Memorandum deploying National Guardsmen was the only rational step to restore law and order.

As always, Newsom’s rhetoric ignored the facts on the ground. By Sunday morning, California National Guard troops had already begun arriving in Los Angeles.

U.S. Northern Command confirmed on X that the California National Guard was proceeding with deployments in the Los Angeles area, with some troops already present.

While the National Guard was fulfilling its mission to help stabilize the situation, Newsom and his team were busy firing off inflammatory social media posts.

His press office even invoked the January 6 Capitol riots in a bizarre comparison, seeking to distract from the chaos occurring under his own watch. They also attacked a Department of Homeland Security post about violent rioters, further illustrating the governor’s instinct to politicize rather than govern.

As violence continued to spread in Los Angeles, Newsom doubled down on his opposition to the National Guard deployment. Later Sunday, his office sent a formal letter to Defense Secretary Hegseth demanding that the deployment order be rescinded.

In the letter, David Sapp, Newsom’s legal affairs secretary, claimed that there was no need for the National Guard to be present in Los Angeles. He accused the federal government of acting unlawfully and suggested that the deployment was a breach of state sovereignty designed to inflame tensions.

Sapp’s letter requested that the Guard be returned to state control and deployed only when Newsom deemed it necessary. The irony of Newsom claiming that the deployment was designed to inflame tensions, while his own inflammatory rhetoric poured gasoline on an already volatile situation, was lost on the governor’s team.

The reality is that Newsom’s priorities lie not with public safety, but with protecting his political image and pandering to his radical base. His opposition to the National Guard deployment was driven by optics, not substance.

The streets of Los Angeles had descended into chaos, with federal agents under attack and property being destroyed. In such a scenario, the swift deployment of National Guard troops was not only justified, but essential. Newsom’s refusal to acknowledge the seriousness of the situation revealed a dangerous detachment from reality.

Moreover, Newsom’s mockery of Defense Secretary Hegseth was both unprofessional and petty. At a moment when collaboration between state and federal officials was urgently needed, Newsom chose to belittle Hegseth on social media.

His reference to an axe-throwing incident from nearly a decade ago was a transparent attempt to distract from his own leadership failures. Hegseth, a seasoned military veteran and former Army officer, is highly respected by service members and defense officials alike.

His commitment to ensuring the safety of Americans stands in stark contrast to Newsom’s partisan posturing.

It is worth noting that while Newsom played politics, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth focused on concrete action. The decision to deploy the National Guard was grounded in intelligence assessments and operational necessity, not political theater.

The Guard’s presence was intended to support overwhelmed law enforcement agencies and deter further violence. By undermining this effort, Newsom sent a troubling message to those intent on disrupting public order: that state leaders would prioritize ideological grievances over public safety.

The timing of Newsom’s letter further underscored his misplaced priorities. As National Guard troops were arriving and preparing to assist in restoring calm, Newsom was attempting to pull them out.

His insistence that there was no need for their presence was belied by the very images emerging from Los Angeles, where violent clashes and attacks on federal officers continued to unfold.

Newsom’s determination to obstruct the Guard’s mission reflected an alarming willingness to sacrifice security for political gain.

Newsom’s behavior also highlighted a broader trend among Democrat leaders who have consistently undermined federal law enforcement efforts in the name of political correctness.

The protests in Los Angeles were sparked by opposition to basic immigration enforcement operations, an issue that Newsom has repeatedly sought to politicize.

By framing federal agents as villains and opposing the enforcement of immigration laws, Newsom has contributed to an environment where violent resistance is not only tolerated but tacitly encouraged.

His opposition to the National Guard deployment fits neatly within this pattern of obstructing lawful federal actions.

As the situation in Los Angeles evolves, it is clear that President Trump and Secretary Hegseth remain committed to protecting the American people and restoring order.

Their focus is on the mission at hand, not on scoring social media points. Newsom, on the other hand, appears determined to cling to a narrative that absolves him of responsibility and casts the federal government as the antagonist. This approach does nothing to address the underlying issues or to ensure the safety of California residents.

In the end, Newsom’s latest outburst will be remembered not as a courageous stand for state sovereignty, but as a petty and self-serving distraction during a moment of crisis.

His failure to rise above partisanship and work constructively with federal partners is a disservice to the citizens he was elected to serve. While the National Guard continues its mission to stabilize Los Angeles, Newsom’s credibility as a leader has taken yet another hit.

The American people can see through his theatrics, and they deserve better from those entrusted with public office.