In an unprecedented domestic military mobilization, President Donald Trump has ordered 700 active-duty U.S. Marines and 2,000 additional National Guard troops into Los Angeles, vowing to crack down on protests with unprecedented force.
The dramatic escalation came after four days of unrest sparked by mass immigration arrests in the heavily Latino city, where demonstrators have clashed with police, torched vehicles, and looted stores.
But while weekend protests turned chaotic, Monday’s rallies were largely peaceful—raising questions about the necessity of Trump’s heavy-handed response.
“They will be hit harder than ever before,” Trump warned on social media, branding protesters “professional agitators and insurrectionists.” His threat followed reports of demonstrators spitting at troops—a claim local officials have yet to verify.
California Governor Gavin Newsom fired back, calling the deployment a “deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President.”
