Gavin Newsom Just Launched His Presidential Campaign, Scott Jennings Says

Former George W. Bush adviser Scott Jennings said that Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom just launched his presidential campaign Tuesday night amid the ongoing protests and riots over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in California.

Newsweek reached out to Newsom’s office via email for comment on Tuesday.

Why It Matters

Since his January 20 inauguration, President Donald Trump has implemented sweeping change, mainly through executive orders, and has prioritized immigration control as a key pillar within the administration.

Trump last month utilized the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a wartime law that grants the commander in chief authority to detain or deport non-citizens. The implementation was originally blocked in federal court and sparked a contentious legal back-and-forth.

The president also campaigned on the promise of mass deportations and appointed Tom Homan as his administration’s border czar to execute his agenda.

What To Know

Protests broke out on Friday in reaction to numerous ICE raids throughout Los Angeles. Amid the ongoing tumult, city officials including Mayor Karen Bass implemented a curfew for portions of downtown, from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday, and it could continue throughout the coming days if warranted.

Los Angeles police warn that people who break the curfew and who are not exempt—like first responders, credentialed media and those who live in the affected area—will be subject to arrest.

During a news conference, the officials displayed a map of the curfew zone. Newsom then followed with a formal address to the Golden State, ripping Trump and his administration for inflaming an already combustible situation.

“Trump and his loyalists, they thrive on division because it allows them to take more power and exert even more control. And by the way, Trump, he’s not opposed to lawlessness and violence as long as it serves him. What more evidence do we need than January 6th,” Newsom said in part.

The Democratic governor also denounced any violence or harm to law enforcement, vowing to prosecute any lawlessness.

Reacting to the formal address, Jennings, opinion contributor on CNN, told the outlet’s Kaitlan Collins, “It’s amazing to me, first of all, this guy’s the governor of a state and … it’s got one of its most important cities burning, on his watch, and he’s out here launching a presidential campaign.”

Jennings added, “I mean, there is no other way to listen to what happened,” he said, still reacting to Newsom’s address. “I conclude that he just launched his presidential campaign on top of this lawlessness that’s going on in California. He governs a failed state, he sits atop of a failed state, and he sits, I guess, at the leadership right now of a political party that’s wanting to coddle the illegal invasion of our country that’s causing what’s happening.”

“It’s not particularly controversial for Donald Trump to enforce federal law,” Jennings said, later adding that Newsom spouted off a “litany of complaints” and it will “look opportunistic” and not “resonate.”

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is pictured on June 10 in a formal address to his state. (Photo from Governor Newsom’s Facebook)

What People Are Saying

Trump posted to his Truth Social on Tuesday: “If we didn’t send out the National Guard—Los Angeles would be burning right now!”

Newsom, in a video segment of his speech on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday: “Donald Trump deployed more than 700 active U.S. Marines — men and women trained in foreign combat, not domestic law enforcement. We honor their service and bravery. But we do not want our streets militarized by our own Armed Forces. Not in L.A. Not in California. Not anywhere.”

Vice President JD Vance posted to X on Tuesday: “Gavin Newsom says he didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. Both of these photos were taken before the president authorized the national guard to go protect our border patrol in California. Does this look like ‘no problem’?

“Newsom and his stooge Karen Bass fomented and encouraged the riots, because their entire political movement exists for one purpose: to promote mass migration into our country. It is their reason for being. Democratic leadership has no solution for the economy, for prosperity, or for security. They use their power when they’re in the majority to import millions of illegal immigrants and when they’re in opposition they do everything possible to prevent deportations,” Vance continued.

“Under Newsom’s leadership, medicaid was extended to all illegal immigrants in 2024. This means that he elected to take healthcare from impoverished and disabled Californians and give it to illegal aliens. And now, everything is President Trump’s fault? Give me a break. If you want to know why illegal aliens flocked to your state, stop accusing Donald Trump. Look in the mirror.

Concluding, Vance said, “If you want to know why border patrol fear for their lives over enforcing the law, look in the mirror. It was your policies that encouraged mass migration into California. Your policies that protected those migrants from common sense law enforcement. Your policies that offered massive welfare benefits to reward illegal immigrants. Your policies that allowed those illegal migrants (and their sympathizers) to assault our law enforcement. Your policies that allowed Los Angeles to turn into a war zone. You sure as hell had a problem before President Trump came along. The problem is YOU.”