California Governor Gavin Newsom (D-Chaos) really, really wants to be arrested over his defiance of Trump’s efforts to deport illegal migrants and stop the rioting in Los Angeles over the deportations. He is unlikely to get his way, but he is playing up the moment for all it’s worth.
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The mediagenic leftist appears to be calculating that if he really were handcuffed and perp-walked, the experience would catapult him to front-runner status in the race for the 2028 Democrat presidential nomination, and make him the undisputed leader of all those who have been stirred up all these years to hate Donald Trump with burning intensity. It would add fuel to the Trump-is-a-dictator nonsense in the bargain. So for Newsom, there’s no downside.
Newsom himself ginned up the dispute, as Stephen Green pointed out on Monday morning. NBC News reported that Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, “threatened arrest for anyone who obstructs the immigration enforcement effort, including Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — though he acknowledged that neither yet had ‘crossed the line.’”
Newsom took that hypothetical and ran with it as if Homan had been pounding on the door of his home at 4 a.m. and shouting at him over a bullhorn to surrender peacefully. ““He’s a tough guy,” Newsom said. “Why doesn’t he do that? He knows where to find me. That kind of bloviating is exhausting. So, Tom, arrest me. Let’s go.”
Inevitably, President Trump was asked to weigh in on this manufactured controversy, and he was happy to oblige. Asked if he thought Homan should arrest Newsom, Trump replied: “I would do it, if I were Tom. I think it is great. Gavin likes the publicity” — you can say that again, Mr. President — “but I think it would be a great thing. He’s done a terrible job. Look, I like Gavin Newsom, he’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent. Everybody knows. All you have to do is look at the little railroad he’s building. It’s about a hundred times over budget.”
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This was music to Newsom’s ears. He posted the video of Trump’s remarks on X and commented: “The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. 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.”
Yeah, sure it is. Remember, the guy saying this never uttered a word of protest when Trump himself was arrested, and when the Biden regime weaponized the Justice Department against its principal opponent. Newsom didn’t have a thing to say about authoritarianism when the Biden regime set up a Disinformation Governance Board, or pressured the social media giants to silence COVID dissidents, or treated pro-life Catholics and angry parents at school board meetings as if they were terrorists. And so Newsom will have to forgive patriots if they regard all his posturing as authoritarianism as just that, posturing for his own political advantage.
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Numerous X users, meanwhile, weighed in with some choice words for the opportunist in Sacramento. One said to Newsom: “Your defiance of federal authority is escalating chaos in LA. Trump’s call for order isn’t authoritarianism—it’s a response to your failure to control violent protests. Governors don’t get a free pass to obstruct law enforcement. The rule of law applies to all, including you.” Former Congressional candidate Ron Bassilian put it succinctly: “Nobody is above the law, Gavin.” “Gays For Trump” added: “If they arrested a former President they can arrest a sitting Governor.” And an X user with a long memory noted: “You called for his arrest on camera 7 times.”
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Consistency, however, has never been a strong suit, or a serious concern, of Democrat politicians. They know that the establishment media will cover for them no matter what, and that gives them a certain latitude in their public pronouncements. Meanwhile, even though Newsom will almost certainly not get arrested, his defiance of federal authority is indeed adding to the chaos in Los Angeles. If this continues and spreads, the left could have the civil war it has wanted for so long. If it comes to that point, even Gavin Newsom might draw back. After all, how can he be president if there is nothing for him to be president of?
Newsom’s hysterical and hypocritical posturing is destructive, but you’ll never hear that from the establishment media. That’s why you need to join PJ Media VIP today and get 60% off with the code FIGHT!
