It is a spectacle on an open stage, a clash that is unparalleled in the history of the federal United States. California is on fire - not only in the literal sense, but politically. The lead actors: President Donald Trump, who presents himself as the savior of an allegedly "fallen" Los Angeles, and Governor Gavin Newsom, who stands up against the authoritarian power grab from Washington. Between martial rhetoric, legal complaints, and personal insults, the boundaries between democracy and dictatorship begin to blur.
The escalation begins on Sunday with Trump’s decision to deploy more than 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to Los Angeles - against the explicit will of the California governor. Trump justifies this step by pointing to “violent people” who must not get away with it. “We’re not gonna let them get away with it,” he says in Morristown, New Jersey. Newsom responds that same evening on X: “Trump wants chaos, he’s instigated violence ... Stay peaceful, stay focused. Don’t give him the excuse he’s looking for.”
What follows is a bitter dispute over authority, constitutional rights, and the future of federalism in America. While Trump cites a legal clause that allows federal military action in cases of rebellion, Newsom warns of a “serious breach of state sovereignty.” In a letter to the president, he demands the withdrawal of the troops - without success. Instead, Newsom takes the matter to court, seeking to stop cooperation between the military and federal immigration authorities.
Another chapter in this political feud is a phone call between the two. Newsom describes it as “very decent,” a conversation in which the deployment of troops “barely came up at all.” Trump, on the other hand, claims the call was precisely about that - a warning: “Your city’s burning, your state is in bad trouble.” The truth? Probably somewhere between protocol and propaganda. Newsom then calls Trump a “stone-cold liar.”
On Monday, the conflict escalates further. Newsom officially files a lawsuit against the federal government: “We are suing Donald Trump. This is a manufactured crisis. He is creating fear and terror to take over a state militia and violate the U.S. Constitution.” Trump comments laconically: “I’m very happy I got involved ... I think Gavin in his own way is very happy I got involved.”
At Fort Bragg, the president’s staging culminates: “We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy.” He calls the protesters “animals” and “a foreign enemy.” He promises to “liberate” Los Angeles.
Newsom responds sharply: “Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves. But they do not stop there. Trump and his loyalists, they thrive on division - because it allows them to take more power.” For him, one thing is clear: California is only the beginning. “Democracy is next. And it is under assault before our eyes.” Even a personal arrest briefly comes into play. Trump’s border czar Tom Homan had publicly warned that even governors would be arrested if they opposed federal law. Newsom responds mockingly: “Come after me, arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy.” Trump immediately replies: “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great.” On Monday, Newsom expresses disbelief: “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.”
In a podcast with the New York Post, Trump later suggests that Newsom’s “primary crime” is running for office at all - “because he did such a bad job.” Does he really want to arrest him? “Well, in theory yes ... it’s almost like a dissipation of duty.”
And then there is the symbolic climax: Trump’s military parade for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army - exactly on his 79th birthday. Newsom condemns the spectacle as a “vulgar show” and compares it to the self-aggrandizing displays of failed dictators. Trump, on the other hand, simply says: “I think it’s going to be great.”
On Wednesday, the week of escalation ends with one final battle cry on Truth Social: “The INCOMPETENT governor of California was unable to provide protection in a timely manner when our Ice Officers - GREAT Patriots they are - were attacked by an out of control mob of agitators, troublemakers, and/or insurrectionists. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
What remains is a country at war with itself - and a federal state refusing to capitulate to the president.
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