Newsom, Trump Trade Even More Barbs

The war of words between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Trump over the protests in Los Angeles did not end with Monday afternoon's question of whether Newsom should be arrested by federal agents. In an interview with Politico, Newsom doubled down on his assertion about a shift toward "authoritarianism."

• "It's just an extraordinary moment, and I don't want to overstate it, but these are the words of an authoritarian," Newsom told the outlet in reference to Trump. "Whether he acts on it or not, the chill that creates is real, and it's a serious moment, very serious."

• Newsom again asserted that the decision to bring in Marines and deploy the National Guard is meant to provoke protesters and manufacture chaos. "He is unhinged, and he's acting recklessly. ... This is a very serious and sober moment. We are going to stand firm."
• The New York Times has a roundup of the men's slams against each other since the protests began, including Trump's response Monday when asked why Newsom might be arrested. "His primary crime is running for governor, because he's done such a bad job," Trump said. "What he's done to that state is like what Biden did to this country." Writes Laurel Rosenhall in the Times analysis: "All of it was suited for an era of politics that rewards jousting by online gladiators."
• A Washington Post analysis observes that Newsom's slams "reflected a broader frustration for Democratic leaders, who have been unable to counter what they see as an escalation of Trump's antidemocratic actions in his emboldened second term." The piece notes that the two men have maintained a "cordial back-channel relationship" in recent years despite their public fighting, but Newsom on Monday "sounded like he was at his end with Trump." Trump, said the governor in an interview, "is a very different president than his first foray in office."

(More Gavin Newsom stories.)