Over the weekend, anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles devolved into violent riots while Democrat lawmakers looked the other way—forcing President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard.
The details: The violence began after ICE conducted coordinated raids that led to the arrests of roughly 45 illegal aliens. Rioters were filmed hurling objects at ICE, setting cars on fire, vandalizing property, looting, blocking highway traffic, and waving foreign flags (mostly the Mexican flag).
The organizers: Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), one of the lead organizers of the demonstrations, received nearly $34 million in grants from California and has strong ties to the Democrat party.
- Signs seen at the demonstrations were printed by the Party for Socialism and Liberation, which has been linked to Elias Rodriguez, who shot and killed two Israeli staffers last month in D.C.
What the left is saying: LA Mayor Karen Bass blamed Trump for the riots, saying: “What we’re seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration.”
- The politicized LAPD called the riots “peaceful protests.”
- Senator Cory Booker repeatedly characterized the chaos as “peaceful protests.”
Trump sends in the troops: Trump activated the California National Guard, deploying 2,000 to Los Angeles on Sunday morning to end the violence. On Saturday night, Trump wrote on Truth Social:
- “If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”
- The U.S. Northern Command also said it had 500 U.S. Marines ready to quell the riots if needed.
- Newsom responded on X, writing: “Trump is trying to manufacture a crisis in LA County — deploying troops not for order, but to create chaos.” When he wrote this, LA had already been burning for 48 hours.
Zoom out: The illegal aliens that were arrested by ICE in the raids that sparked the riots included murderers, sex offenders, and other violent criminals.
The latest: Sunday night, the LAPD had to declare an “unlawful assembly” as rioters refused to disperse. And late Sunday night, President Trump urged Los Angeles to “BRING IN THE TROOPS.”
Reuniting the right: After a week-long public fight with Trump, Elon Musk took to X to share the president’s Truth Social posts with “🇺🇸🇺🇸” as the caption.
Real talk from G: I know violence and chaos are key tenets of the Democrat playbook. But most Americans will not sympathize with thugs waving Mexican flags while they bash police with pieces of concrete. The left played this hand in 2020, and now they’re overplaying it—empowering President Trump to send in troops to end the mess.
🚨 This is the other side of the over pass. ENTIRE FLEETS of California Highway Patrol vehicles are being annihilated by LA rioters.
I am on the ground now. pic.twitter.com/YOtf5O13NV
— Cam Higby | America First 🇺🇸 (@camhigby) June 9, 2025