Johnson: Trump does ‘exactly what he needs to do’ in sending national guards to LA

DPR Speaker Mike Johnson said he was “not careful” at all of the orders of President Donald Trump to send 2,000 national guard troops to Los Angeles to extinguish immigration protests which resulted in a clash between demonstrators and law enforcement.

“I think the president is exactly what he needs to do,” said Co-Anbor ABC News “this week” Jonathan Karl on Sunday. “This is a federal law and we must maintain the rule of law. And that is not what happened. [California Gov.] Gavin Newsom has shown inability or reluctance to do what is needed there. “

“That is a real leadership, and he has the authority and responsibility to do it,” said the speaker, defending Trump’s decision.

California officials said that spreading national bodyguards was unnecessary. Newsom said the move was “deliberately inflamed and will only increase tension.”

“The federal government sowed chaos so they could have a reason to increase. It was not a way of behaving in a civilized behavior,” the governor posted on X.

Defense Minister Pete Hegseth said on Saturday that the marines of active tasks at the Pendleton Camp will be mobilized “if the violence continues.”

Asked about Hegseth’s comments, Johnson said, “One of our core principles is to maintain peace through strength. We do it in foreign affairs and domestic affairs too. I don’t think it is with heavy hands.”

“You don’t think of sending marines to the streets of America with heavy hands?” Karl pressed.

“We must be prepared to do what is needed, and I think the notification that it might happen might have a blocking effect,” said the speaker.

The President’s Decree to mobilize the national guards came after his dramatic public at odds with Elon Musk, whose role in government ended more than a week ago.

Johnson said he was still not talking to Musk since he went down to his social media platform to blow up the legislative priority of Trump who tried to pass the congress, but they had exchanged text messages.

“The President uses the word ‘disappointing.’ I think it’s true.

“Look, Elon’s number one responsibility is to save his company. The president and I have the responsibility to save this country, and that is what this bill does. And we are really excited and proud of this product,” he added.

Asked what the text message said with Musk, Johnson said Musk expressed concern about expenditure.

“And I said, ‘Elon, the category of expenditure in this bill is in two limited areas – borders, which we promised to the Americans we will do, and his defense,” he said. “Everything else in this bill is about historical savings and tax cuts.”

Responding to Musk’s suggestion for people to call their congress members to “kill in the bill,” Johnson said, “we have almost no call to the office.”

“Listen, I don’t go to make legislation to please the richest people in the world. What we try to do is help Americans who work hard who try to provide their families to meet the needs of life.”

Johnson avoided the question whether Trump had to move forward by cutting the Musk government contract.

“I will not enter the strategy of what happened to all of that,” he said.

The speaker said he hoped that the dispute would “finish” and say, “I will continue to try to be a peacemaker in all this.”

Johnson added that he thought it would be “a big mistake” for Musk to pursue a Republican party that supports a big Bill beautiful action.

“I think Elon knows, in the end, the reason he was involved in helping President Trump win and help Republicans win the majority in the DPR and the Senate is because he understands that our policies are better for human growth, they are better for the US economy, they are better for everything he is involved,” Johnson said. “I think when emotions subside, I think he will realize that we have no choice. We must hold the majority of the DPR in the 2026 medium -term elections, and we will do it because we have to allow President Trump for four full years, not just two.”