Speaker Johnson: Gavin Newsom ‘Ought To Be Tarred And Feathered’ For Standing Against Law And Order

House Speaker Mike Johnson blistered California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday for attempting to thwart the Trump administration’s efforts to restore law and order to the Los Angeles area.

Border czar Tom Homan suggested that Newsom and other California officials could be arrested if they attempt to obstruct law enforcement operations, like many of the demonstrators in the Los Angeles area. A reporter asked Johnson if the speaker believed Newsom should be arrested.

“I’m not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested, but he ought to be tarred and feathered, I’ll say that,” Johnson responded.

“Look, he’s standing in the way of the administration and the carrying out of federal law, right? He is applauding the bad guys and standing in the way of the good guys,” Johnson continued. “He’s a participant, an accomplice in our federal law enforcement agents being, not just disrespected, but assaulted. This is a serious problem.”

Newsom responded to Johnson in a post on X: “Good to know we’re skipping the arrest and going straight for the 1700’s style forms of punishment. A fitting threat given the @GOP want to bring our country back to the 18th Century.”

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, with Newsom’s backing, sued the Trump administration on Monday over the deployment of National Guard troops to protect federal immigration officials. Newsom has accused the Trump administration of violating procedure and the Constitution by calling in the National Guard without his authorization.

“What a joke,” added Johnson after mentioning the lawsuit. “Do your job, man. That’s what I tell Gavin Newsom. Do your job. Stop working on your rebranding and be a governor. Stand up for the rule of law.”

Trump initially deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area over the weekend, and increased the military deployment on Monday as rioters in the city continued to burn cars, block traffic, deface property, and attack law enforcement.

Trump deployed hundreds of Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton to the city to help protect law enforcement and federal immigration operations on Monday. On Monday night, the president directed another 2,000 California National Guardsmen to be deployed to the area.

“We’re not going to allow L.A. to burn. We’ve seen this movie before, right? This thing gets out of hand real quickly, especially in a big city like that,” said Johnson. “If local and state officials are unwilling or unable to do their job, the president of the United States will do his, and we support that fully.”

Q: "Do you believe that Newsom should face consequences in a legal way?"

.@SpeakerJohnson: "That's not my lane. I'm not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested but he ought to be tarred and feathered, I'll say that." pic.twitter.com/7C50t1rrE6

— CSPAN (@cspan) June 10, 2025