Trump Border Czar Responds to Gavin Newsom’s Arrest Taunt on ‘Morning Joe’: ‘I’m Not Biting’ | Video

Trump border czar Tom Homan appeared Monday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to justify ICE’s immigration raids in Los Angeles and say he’s “not biting” on California Governor Gavin Newsom‘s taunt to arrest him.

Homan began by defending ICE’s controversial raids Friday at an L.A. Home Depot and in the city’s fashion district.

“It wasn’t an immigration raid. It was to service three criminal warrants at locations based on a large criminal conspiracy that ICE is investigating,” Homan said. “This was a criminal investigation that they all responded to in the beginning. That’s how it all started.”

“We took a lot of bad people off the street the last couple of days,” Homan continued. “What ICE did the last couple of days is make Los Angeles safer by taking public safety threats off the street.” Watch the full “Morning Joe” interview in the video below.

Many would likely disagree with Homan’s assessment, given that the protests between the city’s residents and law enforcement officials over the weekend prompted President Trump to send in the National Guard. Around 300 troops arrived in the city Sunday. This, notably, marked the first time since the 1960s that a U.S. president had sent the National Guard to a state without first receiving a request from a governor.

“I support President Trump’s decision,” Homan said of the National Guard’s arrival in Los Angeles. “They’re there to protect property and life.” The border czar added, “If [California officials] fail to control that city and we’re there, we’re going to do everything we can to protect our buildings, protect our officers. So calling up the National Guard I think is the right thing to do.”

On Sunday, Newsom released a letter demanding that Trump’s order be rescinded and that the National Guard be sent back. The California official accused Trump of creating further instability and pushing America one step closer to becoming an authoritarian nation. He also responded to comments from an interview with Homan in which the border czar said that anyone, including officials like Mayor Karen Bass and Newsom, would be arrested if they contributed to the impediment of ICE’s raids.

“Come after me. Arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy,” Newsom said in a Sunday interview. When asked on “Morning Joe” about Newsom’s taunt, Homan replied, “I’m not biting on that.”

The Trump official claimed that he had been misrepresented during his initial interview and that his words had been taken out of context.

“Here’s what I said: They have a right to protest. They have the First Amendment rights, but they can’t cross that line. They can’t cross that line [into] impediment. They can’t cross that line of putting their hands on officers,” Homan explained. “I was clear [that Bass and Newsom] haven’t crossed the line. But they’re not above the law, either.”

“I never threatened to arrest Governor Newsom,” Homan concluded.

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