🎥House Speaker: California governor should be “tarred and feathered”

President Donald Trump is defending his decision to send Another 2,000 National Guard troops along with 700 Marines to Los Angeles, escalating a military presence local officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom don’t want and the police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests.

Additional protests against immigration raids are expected to continue in other cities Tuesday.

Here’s the latest:

Speaker Johnson defends Trump on LA protests

House Speaker Mike Johnson defended Donald Trump’s handling of protests in Los Angeles and echoed the president’s attacks on Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“That’s not my lane,” Johnson said in response to a question about whether Newsom should face legal consequences such as arrest.

Johnson, speaking at a news conference at the RNC on Tuesday, continued that Newsom should be “tarred and feathered”-- eliciting chuckles from members of House Republican leadership at the press conference -- for “standing in the way of the administration and the carrying out of federal law.”

Thune says ‘federal response’ necessary to protests in Los Angeles

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said Tuesday there were “clear failures on the part of state and local officials” in response to protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles and a “federal response” was necessary.

President Trump has sent thousands of National Guard troops and 700 active duty Marines to quell the protests despite the objections of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and local leaders.

“I don’t know exactly the authorities that they are using,” Thune said, referring to the Marine deployment. “But obviously, there was a security situation out there that needed to be addressed. And I think ultimately the president’s objective is to keep people safe.”

Head of Marine Corps says battalion is in LA, ready to respond but has not engaged

The commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Eric Smith, said the battalion deployed to Los Angeles is already there and ready to follow the orders from the U.S. Northern Command, but clarified they have not yet been called to respond.

Smith testified at a budget hearing before senators that those Marines are trained for crowd control, and they would have shields and batons as their equipment. He said they have no arrest authority, and are only there to protect federal property and federal personnel.

When asked by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumental, a Connecticut Democrat, about the danger that Marines would use lethal force that could result in injuries and deaths, Smith said he had faith in them.

“I am not concerned. I have great faith in my Marines and their junior leaders and their more senior leaders to execute the lawful tasks that they are given.”