Karoline Leavitt fields Los Angeles anti-ICE riot questions in briefing
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt faced a barrage of questions from the media during Wednesday’s press briefing regarding the anti-ICE riots that have erupted in Los Angeles. One reporter asked if President Trump would allow peaceful protests for a military parade, to which Leavitt responded by calling it a “stupid question” before moving on to the next inquiry.
The press briefing took place in the aftermath of riots that broke out in Los Angeles in response to federal law enforcement officials conducting immigration raids. Reporters questioned Leavitt about upcoming deportation efforts nationwide and how the administration plans to handle potential future riots in response to ICE raids. One reporter even suggested that President Trump’s response to the LA protests was a deliberate attempt to shift focus away from his feud with Elon Musk, which Leavitt dismissed as a “disingenuous attack.”
Leavitt defended Trump’s response to the riots, stating that he condemned the violence after seeing footage of Border Patrol and ICE agents being attacked with rocks and Molotov cocktails. The President’s decision to activate the National Guard over the weekend was prompted by these violent acts targeting federal law enforcement officials.
The riots in Los Angeles were sparked by local leaders denouncing the raids and offering support to illegal aliens in the state. Trump’s deployment of 2,000 National Guard members to quell the violence bypassed the governor, leading Governor Gavin Newsom to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration for allegedly federalizing the California National Guard. Democrats have attempted to blame Trump for the violence, characterizing the riots as “peaceful” demonstrations.
Leavitt criticized Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass for their handling of the situation, accusing them of incompetence and calling for more action to address the violence in California. The tensions between Trump and Musk escalated in the days leading up to the riots, with Musk urging lawmakers to “kill the bill” that would fund Trump’s agenda. However, Musk later expressed regret for his posts targeting Trump, acknowledging that they “went too far.”
The ongoing unrest in Los Angeles highlights the complex issues surrounding immigration enforcement and the challenges of maintaining law and order in the face of violent protests. The Trump administration’s response to the riots and the criticism from both sides underscore the deep divisions in the country over immigration policy and the role of federal law enforcement agencies.
