'Burning to ground': Trump claims LA would be dust without National Guards, but Governor Newsom says it’s a ‘dictator fantasy’

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (June 10) defended his decision to send thousands of troops to Los Angeles amid protests against immigration raids, claiming the city would have been destroyed without federal intervention.

In a message posted on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump wrote, “If I didn’t ‘SEND IN THE TROOPS’ to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now, much like 25,000 houses burned to the ground in L.A. due to an incompetent Governor and Mayor.”

He further criticised the local administration, saying, “The much more difficult, time consuming, and stringent FEDERAL PERMITTING PROCESS is virtually complete on these houses, while the easy and simple City and State Permits are disastrously bungled up and WAY BEHIND SCHEDULE!”

Marines and National Guard sent to control protests

The federal government has now deployed 700 US Marines to the LA area. Additionally, the number of National Guard troops has doubled to 4,000 to help manage the demonstrations.

This decision has drawn heavy criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who said the troop deployment was fulfilling “the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president.” The state has also filed a lawsuit against Trump for bypassing the governor’s authority.

This marks the first time since 1965 that a US president has sent National Guard troops to a city without the approval of the state’s governor.

Troops deployed but Insurrection Act not invoked

Despite the military presence, the Trump administration has not invoked the Insurrection Act, which would allow troops to be directly involved in policing.

Local authorities continue to insist the extra troops are unnecessary. “We have not reached the point where local law enforcement has got beyond its means to deal with the situation,” said LA County District Attorney Nathan Hochman in an interview with BBC Radio 4.

He also noted that only a “small fraction” of residents were involved in protests, and even fewer were taking part in unlawful activity.

What are the LA protests about?

The protests started on Friday following a new round of arrests by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles. According to the Department of Homeland Security, 118 people were detained in LA this week, with the national average reaching about 2,000 ICE arrests per day.

The raids have sparked public anger and prompted unified opposition from LA’s leadership. All 15 city council members signed a joint statement saying: “We condemn this in no uncertain terms: Los Angeles was built by immigrants and it thrives because of immigrants.”

Mayor Karen Bass also criticised the enforcement actions, saying, “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city… we will not standforthis.”