Well, that escalated rather quickly.
All of two days ago (if that), Governor Gavin Newsom of California made multiple headlines worldwide by effectively daring the Trump administration to arrest him due to the ongoing unrest in Los Angeles.
“Come after me, arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy, you know? I don’t give a d—. But I care about my community. I care about this community,” Newsom raged on MSNBC.
In essence, Newsom effectively dared Border Czar Tom Homan to arrest him for daring to challenge the federal government on its massive ICE raids … though Homan was quick to point out that he had not exactly been preoccupied with plans to arrest the California governor.
In fact, Homan noted that he would only pursue criminal charges against Newsom “if [he] committed a crime.”
President Donald Trump, however, apparently has a different perspective than Homan, which he promptly divulged upon his recent return from Camp David.
As reported by The Hill, Trump is apparently all in favor of arresting the California governor, effectively urging Homan to do so.
“I would do it if I were Tom,” Trump declared, all but calling for the Border Czar to incarcerate the remarkably liberal governor.
Trump also noted that such an incarceration would probably be a “great thing” for the California governor.
“I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing,” Trump mused.
Well, that could be. At minimum, Newsom’s hair would have a chance to breathe … as it is frequently subsumed by hair gel.
Perhaps his fixation on his appearance is precisely why the state has been run a tad “incompetently,” and the incompetence is clearly one of the traits that annoys Trump the most.
“Look, I like Gavin Newsom. He’s a nice guy. But he’s grossly incompetent,” Trump chortled.
Naturally, Newsom responded quite swiftly – and angrily – to Trump’s commentary.
“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,” Newsom declared on X.
Fair point … though an even fairer point is that Newsom effectively “dared” the Trump administration to arrest him. On MSNBC, no less.
How did Newsom think Trump would respond? If he thought at all, that is.
“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,” Newsom added bleakly.
Well, arresting one’s political opponents has long been a hallmark of authoritarianism.
However, it is also worthwhile to note that Trump became increasingly popular following his own “arrest” in Georgia – to the extent that he ultimately crushed the competition in the 2024 election.
After all, Newsom’s obvious desire for the presidency is one of the worst-kept secrets in the swamp, and he is frequently, albeit bizarrely, cited as a top contender for 2028.
So, he may well be egging Trump on so that he can achieve his own “mugshot.”
Which will be promptly exploited on the 2028 campaign trail …
If AOC doesn’t beat him to the punch, that is.
Author: Jane Jones
