PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman criticized his Democratic Party over its response to riots in Los Angeles tied to pro-illegal immigrant protests.
👥 Who’s Involved: Sen. John Fetterman, President Donald J. Trump, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D), former Vice President Kamala Harris (D), Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), and federal law enforcement officials.
📍 Where & When: Riots began Friday, June 2025, in Los Angeles, California, with a federal response ordered by President Trump.
💬 Key Quote: “My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement,” Sen. Fetterman posted on social media.
⚠️ Impact: Riots have led to widespread property destruction, clashes with law enforcement, and tensions between state and federal authorities.
IN FULL:
Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania has publicly rebuked his own Democratic Party over its handling of violent riots in Los Angeles, California, which began as protests against immigration enforcement. The senator’s remarks, posted on social media, expressed disapproval of the party’s failure to denounce the destruction and assaults tied to the unrest.
“I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration—but this is not that. This is anarchy and true chaos,” Fetterman wrote. He added, “My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement.”
The unrest, which started Friday, has seen rioters set vehicles ablaze, throw projectiles at law enforcement officers, vandalize property, and block traffic, all while waving foreign flags. Federal law enforcement and National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles following President Donald J. Trump’s orders, after the sanctuary state failed to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents facing violence.
“We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California. If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated,” President Trump wote on his Truth Social platform. He criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for their handling of the situation, accusing them of downplaying the violence.
Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass allege that the federal response has escalated tensions, suggesting that ICE provoked the riots in the first place. Senior Trump advisor Stephen Miller has hit back at this narrative, demanding, “What does Governor Newsom mean when he keeps saying the presence of ICE officers, and the troops necessary to protect their lives and duties, are ‘inciting’ riots?”
“He’s adopting the argument of the insurrectionists: enforcing federal immigration law in our city is not allowed and we will riot if you do,” Miller contended, adding: “Newsom isn’t trying to suppress the anti-American revolt, he’s encouraging it.”
Protesters marching along Figueroa Street in Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/R3Py4mFgXr
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) June 10, 2025