President Donald Trump has publicly voiced his support for the arrest of a sitting state governor.
Speaking to reporters at the White House Monday, the president responded to a question from Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy regarding the ongoing back-and-forth between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Trump’s “border czar” Tom Homan.
“Gavin Newsom is daring Tom Homan to come and arrest him,” Doocy asked Trump in the video captured by CNN cameras. “Should he do it?”
Trump endorsed the idea, responding, “I would do it if I were Tom.”
“I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing,” Trump said. He continued by calling Newsom a “nice guy,” but “grossly incompetent.”
Gov. Newsom responded quickly on social media. “This is a day I hoped I would never see in America,” he wrote. “I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”
The comment made from the president comes after Homan threatened both Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass with potential arrests and federal charges should they interfere with ongoing immigration enforcement operations in L.A., which have resulted in several days of civil unrest and clashes between protesters and various law enforcement agencies.
Responding to Homan’s threat over the weekend, Newsom said in an interview with MSNBC, “He’s a tough guy, why doesn’t he do that? He knows where to find me.”
Newsom and other Democratic leaders have criticized Trump’s use of the National Guard in trying to quell anti-ICE immigration protests that turned violent in Los Angeles over the weekend, saying the escalation in force will only lead to further trouble. Newsom also announced plans to sue the Trump administration over the deployment.
Trump has indicated he would be willing to bring in the U.S. Marines if he felt the situation called for it. Trump also backed up Homan’s warning to officials, saying they will “face judges” if they stand in the way.
Tony Kurzweil contributed to this report.