The Brief

Gov. Gavin Newsom finally got the showdown with President Donald Trump that he was asking for.

Their carefully calibrated truce, forged in the wake of January’s devastating wildfires across Los Angeles, appeared to implode over the weekend when Trump sent the California National Guard into the city against Newsom’s wishes to quell immigration enforcement protests.

Newsom’s furious, at times vitriolic, response — comparing Trump to a dictator and calling him a “stone cold liar” for supposedly misrepresenting a phone call between them — harkens back to the immediate aftermath of the November election, when the governor was poised to assume national leadership in the resistance to the second Trump administration. Just two days after Trump’s re-election, Newsom practically invited a confrontation with the president by announcing a special legislative session to set aside funding for litigation against the federal government.

That provocation has come to fruition seven months later with troops in the streets and a pending court challenge to the president’s constitutional authority.

“Many of you called me out as, ‘It’s too extreme. Shouldn’t you be working with Donald Trump during his transition?’ when I called that special session,” Newsom told a reporter during an interview Sunday night with Fox LA. “We knew something would happen. But I gotta say, I never expected Donald Trump to do this.”

Newsom has rallied Californians and his liberal base with his open defiance, even sending a fundraising email Sunday morning about the National Guard deployment. The posturing nevertheless puts both the governor and his state at increasing risk of reprisal.

Matt Rodriguez, a longtime Democratic consultant who has worked in state and national politics, said it’s tough to challenge the president, because he holds most of the cards and has a tendency to whack back twice as hard.

“I just haven't seen someone come out aggressive against Trump where it works,” Rodriguez said. “It's a little bit like getting into a brick fight with the owner of the brickyard.”

Trump threatens to arrest Newsom

Trump, who was already reportedly considering broad funding cuts to California, said Monday that he supports arresting Newsom for his handling of the protests.

“I would do it,” the president told reporters on the south lawn of the White House. “Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing. He’s done a terrible job. Look, I like Gavin Newsom, he’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent.”

The White House did not respond to emailed questions about Newsom’s criticism, if it would have any impact on federal aid to rebuild after the Los Angeles wildfires, or whether Trump still believes he can work with the governor going forward.

Just four months ago, the two men embraced on the tarmac at LAX as Trump arrived in Los Angeles to tour the fire zone. The brief but warm greeting, where Trump promised to “take care of things,” seemed to reset their tense relationship.

Newsom followed up by traveling to Washington, D.C. to meet with the president in the Oval Office and lobby for federal assistance. Trump ceased referring to the governor as “Newscum” and pledged that an “L.A. fire fix” was coming.

The peace could not hold forever. In late April, Newsom sued to stop Trump’s sweeping new tariffs, though he said at the time that he was trying to maintain his connection to the president and avoid fights that were merely virtue signaling, which would invite a negative reaction.

As the weeks wore on, Newsom became more engaged in promoting California’s nearly two dozen lawsuits against the federal government, and he abandoned his strategy of criticizing the Trump administration while avoiding mentioning Trump himself. The president returned to calling the governor “Newscum” as they faced off over a transgender high school athlete last month and he has repeatedly used the term online when posting about the protests in Los Angeles. When CNN reported Friday that Trump was preparing a large-scale cancellation of federal grants for California, Newsom suggested the state should stop paying taxes.

LAPD officers clash with demonstrators during an immigrant rights protest in downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.

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Ted Soqui

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CalMatters

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But this weekend marked a clear public rupture, with Newsom lobbing some of his harshest denunciations on record at the president. In a series of media interviews, the governor repeatedly said Trump’s federalization of the California National Guard was authoritarian, blamed him for inflaming violence to distract from his “disastrous presidency” and expressed doubts about his mental fitness.

The governor’s office continued to repost excerpts from those interviews on his social media accounts throughout the day Monday, alongside flippant comebacks to Republican critics. A spokesperson for the governor declined to discuss his shift in approach for dealing with Trump, though Newsom himself downplayed the potential consequences to Fox LA.

“Poking the bear? Are you kidding?” he said. “You mean standing up for principles, standing up for honor and decency, standing up for the rule of law. Poking the bear? Come on.”

Trump looks to divert focus during bad news cycle

Dan Schnur, a former Republican communications strategist who now teaches at UC Berkeley, Pepperdine University and the University of Southern California, said it’s possible that Trump could use their clash as an excuse to withhold wildfire aid or otherwise punish California.

But the president was clearly itching for a brawl to shake up a brutal news cycle focused on his deficit-enhancing tax and spending plan and his falling out with adviser Elon Musk, Schnur added, and there’s not much Newsom could have done to pacify him because Trump wanted to make an example of California.

“If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to want a glass of milk,” Schnur said.

Meanwhile, Newsom’s tenacious repudiation of Trump could further burnish his reputation as a top-tier Democratic contender if he plans to run for president in 2028.

“Some potential candidates are giving speeches. Others are introducing legislation,” Schnur said. “Newsom is daring Trump to arrest him.”

The longer the turmoil in Los Angeles goes on, however, the greater the risk to Newsom. Rodriguez warned that if the situation erupts into sustained skirmishes between law enforcement and protestors, with images of rioting and vandalism broadcast around the world, it would undercut the more politically moderate character that Newsom has begun cultivating.

California Highway Patrol troopers attempt to clear demonstrators from the 101 freeway in downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.

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Ted Soqui

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CalMatters

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“There's a ticking time bomb,” Rodriguez said. “Chaos is just never a good slogan for an elected official, no matter the reason.”

Newsom seemed aware of that conundrum this weekend, as he took pains to condemn the destruction of personal property and express his admiration for the National Guard amid his extensive Trump bashing. He even offered a small olive branch to the president, vowing to continue assisting federal immigration authorities with deporting immigrants released from the California prison system.

“I am not sitting here arguing for criminals in our backyard,” he told Fox LA. “Of course we believe in immigration rules and laws.”

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.