President Trump, never one to shy away from a headline—or a well-timed jab—tossed a political grenade Monday that has Democrats, especially California Governor Gavin Newsom, in full meltdown mode. When asked whether Border Czar Tom Homan should follow through on comments about arresting Newsom for impeding immigration enforcement, Trump leaned in with his trademark smirk and replied, “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity.”
🚨 JUST IN: Gavin Newsom says the illegals rioting in the streets are “just trying to live their lives and pay taxes.”
He also challenged President Trump to ARREST him.
“ARREST ME! Let’s just get it over with.”
DO IT, PRESIDENT TRUMP! Newsom is AIDING AND ABETTING ILLEGALS. pic.twitter.com/JKpLNTNHM1
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 9, 2025
This isn’t just another round in the long-running Trump-Newsom rivalry—it’s a moment that encapsulates the absurd political theater gripping the nation. While Trump was almost certainly tongue-in-cheek in his answer, the reaction from Newsom was nothing short of dramatic.
The California governor responded with an all-caps performance on social media:
“The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America.”
But context matters. Trump, in typical Trumpian fashion, followed his dig with a scathing indictment of Newsom’s actual governance:
“Look, I like Gavin Newsom. He’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent, everybody knows… All you have to do is look at the little railroad he’s building. It’s about 100 times over budget.”
It’s not just a punchline—Trump is pointing to the disastrous California high-speed rail project as Exhibit A in the case against progressive leadership. And Newsom knows it.
This firestorm began when Tom Homan, former ICE director and now the administration’s go-to for immigration enforcement, reaffirmed his longstanding legal stance in an interview with NBC’s Jacob Soboroff:
“It’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement from doing their job.”
That’s not a threat—it’s federal law. But it clearly struck a nerve.
Newsom, ever eager for a spotlight, puffed his chest and threw down a theatrical dare:
“Arrest me! Let’s just get it over with, tough guy.”
That’s not a policy argument—that’s a man auditioning for 2028. And if there was ever doubt, this episode confirms it. Newsom wants to position himself as the rebellious hero, the liberal underdog standing tall against Trump’s alleged “authoritarianism.” What he forgets is that the American public can see the irony.
Reporter: “Gavin Newsom is DARING Tom Homan to come and arrest him. Should he do it?”@POTUS: “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great!”
LOL. 🚨 Tom, you have the green light—go get ’em! pic.twitter.com/iik9ml0hAZ
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) June 9, 2025
This is the same party that has spent years—literally years—trying to criminally prosecute Trump, from investigations to indictments, across multiple states and jurisdictions. But when Trump so much as jokes about arresting a governor, suddenly the rule of law becomes sacred and inviolable?
The media is playing its part too, predictably framing Trump’s comments as dangerous, even dictatorial. But the reality is that Trump was simply pointing out what many Americans already believe: Newsom’s governance has been a disaster, from sanctuary state policies that shield violent criminals to an economy hemorrhaging businesses and families alike.
