The war of words is heating up. We’re passed a point of no return.
Now House Speaker Mike Johnson threatened to tar and feather this Democratic Governor.
Johnson’s Scathing Rebuke of Newsom
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) unleashed a fiery critique of California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday, calling for the Democrat to be “tarred and feathered” for his handling of the riots engulfing downtown Los Angeles.
While stopping short of endorsing calls from President Trump and White House border czar Tom Homan to arrest Newsom, Johnson lambasted the governor’s lenient approach to the unrest.
“I’m not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested, but he ought to be tarred and feathered,” Johnson told reporters during a Capitol Hill news conference, invoking a colonial-era phrase symbolizing public shaming. He clarified that discussing potential charges against Newsom was “not my lane,” but accused the governor of obstructing federal law enforcement efforts.
Johnson’s remarks reflect growing frustration with Newsom’s response to the chaos, which he described as enabling lawlessness.
“He’s standing in the way of the administration and the carrying out of federal law,” Johnson charged. “He is applauding the bad guys and standing in the way of the good guys. He’s a participant and an accomplice in our federal agents not just being disrespected, but assaulted.”
Newsom’s Defiant Retort and Legal Pushback
Newsom fired back on X, sarcastically interpreting Johnson’s comment as a literal call for archaic punishment.
“Good to know we’re skipping the arrest and going straight for the 1700’s style forms of punishment,” he wrote. “A fitting threat given the @GOP want to bring our country back to the 18th Century.”
The governor’s response sidestepped the substance of Johnson’s criticism, focusing instead on framing the GOP as regressive. Meanwhile, Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta escalated their defiance by filing a lawsuit Monday to challenge Trump’s federalization of the California National Guard, which was deployed Saturday to quell the riots sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across Los Angeles.
Johnson dismissed the lawsuit as absurd, urging Newsom to focus on governance rather than political posturing. “What a joke,” he said.
“Do your job, man, that’s what I tell Gavin Newsom. Do your job. Stop working on your rebranding, and be a governor.” The speaker’s comments emphasize a critique that Newsom prioritizes his national image over addressing California’s immediate crises.
Trump’s Escalation and Newsom’s Provocation
The riots, ongoing since Friday night, erupted in response to aggressive ICE raids targeting undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles. President Trump’s decision to federalize the National Guard drew sharp condemnation from Newsom, who accused the administration of authoritarian overreach.
Trump, in turn, fueled the feud, quipping Monday that Newsom’s “primary crime is running for governor since he’s done such a bad job.” While Homan clarified that the administration has no plans to arrest Newsom despite earlier warnings about felony obstruction, Trump suggested he would support such a move, saying, “I would do it, if I were Tom.”
Newsom leaned into the confrontation, daring the administration on Sunday to “just get it over with, arrest me,” while accusing Trump of taking an “unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”
This back-and-forth highlights Newsom’s apparent focus on political theater, critics argue, rather than restoring order in Los Angeles. As tensions between state and federal authorities persist, the governor’s leadership continues to face scrutiny for failing to curb the violence while challenging federal efforts to do so.
