Gavin Newsom dared Border Czar Tom Homan in a reckless challenge that could backfire and potentially land him in federal prison.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been running his mouth about immigration enforcement.
He just crossed a line that could have serious consequences.
And Gavin Newsom made one reckless dare to Tom Homan that could land him on Alcatraz.
Newsom taunts Border Czar Tom Homan with arrest challenge
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been one of President Donald Trump’s most vocal critics since the 47th President took office.
Now Newsom is finding himself in a direct confrontation with Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan over immigration enforcement in Los Angeles.
Homan previously warned that he would arrest any local officials who interfere with Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
That threat apparently struck a nerve with the California Governor.
During an interview with NBC’s Jacob Soboroff, Newsom issued a brazen challenge to Homan that left jaws on the floor.
"He’s a tough guy—why doesn’t he do it?" Newsom said about Homan’s arrest threat. "Let him keep his hands off four-year-old girls who are just trying to get an education. Let him keep his hands off these poor people who are trying to live their lives—paying their taxes, been here ten years."
But Newsom wasn’t done with his reckless taunting.
"Arrest me; let’s just get it over with, tough guy," Newsom declared.
The California Governor doubled down on his dare later in the interview.
"The fear, the horror—what the hell is this guy doing? 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. What the hell are they doing? These guys need to grow up; they need to stop, and we need to push back," Newsom stated.
"I’m sorry to be so clear, but that kind of bloviating is exhausting. So Tom, arrest me, let’s go," Newsom concluded.
Trump federalizes California National Guard without warning Newsom
The confrontation intensified when President Trump ordered the federalization of California’s National Guard without consulting Newsom.
The Governor said he learned about the decision through a staff member rather than direct communication.
"I just… I got a call from a staffer. No heads-up whatsoever," Newsom told NBC.
Newsom claimed that local law enforcement didn’t request additional resources for immigration enforcement.
"Local law enforcement had no needs; they were not requesting any additional resources. I have—well, I have 175 CHP officers, technically trained officers and tactical teams to address Donald Trump’s mess," Newsom said.
Newsom characterized Trump’s actions as creating an artificial emergency designed to push constitutional boundaries.
"He made this up. This is a manufactured crisis designed to get under the tent, stretch credulity, and begin the process of moving inevitably toward a constitutional question and crisis around Posse Comitatus," Newsom stated.
The Posse Comitatus Act limits the federal government’s ability to use military forces for domestic law enforcement.
Newsom claims Trump is the one trying to incite violence
When NBC’s Jacob Soboroff asked about street violence during enforcement operations, Newsom pointed the finger at Trump’s rhetoric.
"They’re trying to incite violence with rhetoric that only makes conditions worse and literally puts lives at risk, and they are intentionally and knowingly doing that," Newsom claimed.
The California Governor framed the immigration crackdown as something far more sinister than border security.
"This is about something much more: authoritarian tendencies, this is about command and control, power, ego—my way or the highway," Newsom declared.
Newsom accused Trump of abandoning democratic principles.
"This President has abandoned the core principles of our democracy: threatening judges he disagrees with, cutting off funding to educational institutions, going on a cultural binge, rewriting history, censoring facts," Newsom said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also spoke with Homan directly about the National Guard deployment.
Bass revealed she tried to discourage the deployment during her conversation with Homan.
"I was encouraging him not to deploy the National Guard. I knew that the order had been given. The president had signed the order to the governor that he was federalizing the National Guard, that 2000 troops were going to be deployed," Bass told reporters.
"My conversation with him was trying to encourage to prevent the deployment. Obviously, that did not work," Bass told reporters.
Newsom’s dare could backfire spectacularly
Gavin Newsom’s public challenge to Tom Homan represents a dangerous game of political chicken.
Federal law enforcement officials don’t typically respond well to taunting from state officials who are interfering with their operations.
Newsom may think he’s scoring political points with his base by standing up to the Trump administration.
But his reckless dare could result in him actually getting arrested if he follows through on obstructing federal immigration enforcement.
The California Governor seems to be betting that Homan won’t follow through on his threats.
That could prove to be a costly miscalculation.
Tom Homan didn’t become Border Czar by backing down from confrontations with sanctuary city politicians.
Newsom may soon discover that Homan is more than willing to call his bluff.
The question now is whether the California Governor will continue his resistance or back down when faced with the real possibility of federal charges.
His next move could determine whether he becomes a martyr for the sanctuary city movement or just another politician who wrote a check his mouth couldn’t cash.
