Overview

• President Trump ordered National Guard troops into Los Angeles on June 8 without Governor Newsom’s approval and has since deployed U.S. Marines to bolster federal forces
• He reinforced his “they spit, we hit” directive on Truth Social, promising unprecedented force against anyone who spits on security personnel
• Opponents and rights groups say the remarks amount to an invitation for law enforcement brutality and excessive use of force
• Commentators point to his pardons of January 6 rioters who assaulted and spat on police as evidence of stark hypocrisy in his approach to protest violence
• Governor Newsom and California officials are challenging the federal troop deployment and pressing for clarity on rules of engagement for the Guard and Marines