The conflict between President Donald Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom has escalated to an unprecedented level. In a week marked by immigration raids, protests, military deployments, court rulings, and public confrontations, the Democratic governor has assumed the role of chief opponent to the federal executive.

From Los Angeles — the epicenter of this institutional clash — Newsom has issued direct accusations against the president, whom he accuses of acting illegally, repressing political dissent, and putting civil and environmental rights at risk.

“Trump and his shock troops are out of control. This must end now,” Newsom wrote on social media, after California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a federal press conference in Los Angeles as he attempted to question Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem about the immigration raids.

Newsom called the episode “outrageous, dictatorial, and shameful,” adding it to a growing list of events that, in his view, reflect the federal government's authoritarian drift.

In a livestreamed address from Sacramento, Newsom warned that the military intervention in Los Angeles — ordered by Trump over the objections of the state government — was only the beginning of a broader political assault.

“California may be first, but it clearly will not end here,” he said, accusing the president of carrying out “a unified assault on American tradition.” He criticized the use of unmarked vehicles to detain a heavily pregnant woman and a four-year-old girl during ICE operations and warned: “If some of us can be snatched off the streets without a warrant, based only on suspicion or skin color, then none of us are safe.”

The protests began following immigration raids across Los Angeles. While largely peaceful, some violent incidents — such as the torching of vehicles — have been used by Trump to justify the deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines.

The president has insisted that without military intervention, “that city would be burning to the ground right now.” But local residents and protesters reject that version. “Our city is not at all on fire, it’s not burning down, as our terrible leader is trying to tell you,” said retired teacher Lynn Sturgis. “This whole thing has been manufactured by the current administration,” added another demonstrator.

Federal Judge Charles Breyer sided with Newsom, ruling Trump’s deployment of the Guard “illegal” and ordering control of the troops returned to the state. “He is not a monarch, he is not a king, and he should stop acting like one,” Newsom said after the ruling. However, the decision was temporarily stayed by an appeals court and is now pending a hearing scheduled for Tuesday. For now, Trump retains control of the Guard.

Environmental policy has also become part of the clash. This week, Trump signed a resolution to block California’s landmark electric vehicle plan, which aimed to ban gas-powered car sales by 2035. Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the administration, calling the decision “reckless” and “illegal.” Bonta added: “The President’s divisive, partisan agenda is jeopardizing our lives, our economy and our environment.”

The standoff has played out publicly. Trump and his press secretary have accused Newsom of “fanning the flames” of unrest instead of fulfilling his duty. The White House claims the president is restoring order in the face of “violent riots,” while California officials argue the administration is suppressing dissent.

Military deployment has been accompanied by inflammatory rhetoric. At Fort Bragg, Trump called the protesters “animals” and referred to them as “paid insurrectionists.” The administration has provided no evidence of organized funding behind the protests, though it claims to be investigating.

On Saturday — Trump’s 79th birthday — mass protests under the banner “No Kings” are expected to coincide with a military parade in Washington, D.C. marking the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary. In Los Angeles, some businesses are boarding up in anticipation. “We’re not saying the protests are bad, but it’s definitely scary when you have a business to protect,” one shop owner told AFP.

In this tense climate, Newsom continues to call for resistance. “What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence, to be complicit in this moment. Do not give in to him,” he told Californians in a public speech.

As institutional tensions grow, Gavin Newsom is not merely governing a state — he is accusing. And his voice has become one of the most vocal political counterweights to a federal administration he claims has overstepped constitutional and democratic limits. In California, the battle is far from over.

With reporting from AFP