California Governor Gavin Newsom didn’t hold back when he fired back at Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, daring him to arrest him after Homan suggested anyone blocking ICE operations should face consequences.
Homan was asked over the weekend if his threat to arrest those obstructing ICE applied to Newsom or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. His response? “I’ll say it about anybody. You cross that line, it’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.”
Newsom, visibly angry, didn’t hesitate to respond in an interview with NBC’s Jacob Soboroff, accusing Homan of playing politics with people’s lives. “He’s a tough guy. Why doesn’t he do that? He knows where to find me,” Newsom said, challenging Homan to act on his words.
The governor continued, making it clear he wasn’t afraid of Homan, but was deeply concerned about the impact on vulnerable communities. “But you know what? Let your hands off 4-year-old girls that are trying to get educated. Let your hands off these poor people. They’re just trying to live their lives, man. Trying to live their lives, paying their taxes. Been here for 10 years. The fear, the horror.”
Then, Newsom turned his anger directly on Homan again: “The hell is this guy? Come after me. Arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy. You know, I don’t give a damn, but I care about my community. I care about this community. The hell are they doing? These guys need to grow up. They need to stop, and we need to push back. And I’m sorry to be so clear, but that kind of bloviating is exhausting. So, Tom, arrest me. Let’s go.”
Newsom didn’t stop there. He announced that California would be suing the Trump administration for what he called an “illegal, immoral, unconstitutional” federal takeover of the state’s National Guard. He pointed out that the Trump administration never coordinated with the state before deploying the Guard, something Newsom said was required.
“This is about authoritarian tendencies. This is about command and control. This is about power. This is about ego,” he said, framing the federal action as an overreach and a political move, not a solution.
Watch the full interview in the clip below via MSNBC.
