In recent days, a significant political drama has unfolded in the United States. On June 9th, Trump made a shocking statement endorsing the arrest of California Governor Gavin Newsom. This came after Tom Homan, the White House border affairs director, had already hinted at arresting Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
This situation is highly unusual. A U.S. President openly calling for the arrest of a state governor is a rare occurrence, especially in a federal system where governors hold considerable power, similar to regional warlords in the late Tang Dynasty. They command both financial and military resources, including the state National Guard.
California is not just any state. As the most populous state with a GDP of nearly $3 trillion in 2022 and over 50 House seats, it wields significant political influence. Newsom is not just an ordinary governor. As a key figure in the Democratic Party's California faction, he is set to follow in Pelosi's footsteps.
Trump's recent actions against the California faction are strategic and methodical. 
His first move was announcing the deportation of illegal immigrants and deploying federal agents to California. In response, the California faction staged protests, a tactic reminiscent of the Democratic Party's traditional methods. However, this played into Trump's hands, as he was waiting for California to make this move.
His first move was announcing the deportation of illegal immigrants and deploying federal agents to California. In response, the California faction staged protests, a tactic reminiscent of the Democratic Party's traditional methods. However, this played into Trump's hands, as he was waiting for California to make this move.
Trump then announced he would take control of the California National Guard due to Newsom's alleged failure to suppress the unrest. Surprisingly, Newsom complied. This was a calculated move, as the California National Guard is a legitimate military force. Trump's intention in mobilizing the military is likely to use force for suppression, which is both problematic and dirty work. Should Trump's hands be stained with blood, he would become the target of Hispanic Americans' resentment. Therefore, Newsom was willing to let Trump face this challenge. Once Trump is mired in controversy, the command of the National Guard would still return to Newsom. If Trump is willing to jump into the pit, Newsom is more than happy to oblige.
After obtaining the command of the California National Guard, Trump swiftly executed his third move: he ordered 2,000 members of the California National Guard to deploy to Los Angeles to maintain order, complete with tanks and armored vehicles. Still not satisfied, he also dispatched the Marine Corps and Air Force paratroopers to monitor the California National Guard, effectively sealing off key city routes.
While doing so, Trump publicly declared that the illegal immigrant unrest in the U.S. is an act of invasion against America. During these operations, Trump deployed filming squads to capture footage of the California faction's stone-throwing groups targeting federal law enforcement and the "zero-dollar purchase" groups engaging in vandalism and looting. These videos were quickly uploaded to social media, countering the California faction's narrative and proving Trump's stance as justifiable.
The California faction was left stunned, realizing they had become the target of public criticism. Consequently, the Los Angeles Police Department, which had previously stood by, was overnight condemned as "accomplices enabling the invasion of America." Under immense pressure, they had no choice but to deploy local riot police and cavalry units to suppress the unrest. A single cavalry charge was enough to disperse the gathered crowd. The entire operation was carried out by the California police themselves, leaving Trump's hands entirely clean. The California faction was left utterly bewildered.
The fourth point mentioned earlier essentially marks Trump's fourth major move: targeting Newsom. At this juncture, what leverage does Newsom have left? Virtually nothing! He has handed over the command of the California National Guard to Trump and lost control over the local police. He has become a commander without troops, utterly powerless to resist. He is now at the mercy of Trump, like fish on a cutting board. The only thing that can still offer him some protection is the U.S. Constitution. It remains to be seen whether Trump has the audacity to transcend the constitutional boundaries. However, for now, Trump has not made a move but is merely testing the waters. On one hand, he is observing whether other Democratic Party factions will intervene; on the other, he is gauging the support of various American factions for his actions. Should the test results be favorable, Trump may indeed proceed to arrest Newsom. It is even conceivable that he might declare the Democratic National Committee a traitorous organization and eventually prohibit it from participating in U.S. political elections.
From this situation, we can discern that although Newsom is the successor to the California faction's legacy, he pales in comparison to his predecessor, Nancy Pelosi, in terms of political awareness and experience. Recall when Trump incited the Capitol riot, surrounding members of Congress. Pelosi's response was decisive: she directly called the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, demanding the military's loyalty to Congress. Subsequently, without the President's approval, Congress mobilized the National Guard from various states to quell the rebellion at the U.S. Capitol. To some extent, this was akin to Pelosi orchestrating a coup against Trump. Once the riot was suppressed, Trump was left powerless to resist.
In contrast, the current scenario is ironically similar to the Capitol riot, but the roles are reversed. This time, the Democrats are the ones instigating the unrest, while Trump is the one deploying the military to suppress it. However, the outcome remains the same: whoever controls the military emerges victorious.
As onlookers, we might have hoped for a more thrilling showdown between California and Trump, as the more intense the conflict, the more entertaining it is to watch. In this regard, Newsom's performance has been somewhat disappointing. Yet, from another perspective, we observe that despite the absence of an American embassy or the U.S. Agency for International Development in California, the state has still managed to create a "beautiful landscape" of chaos. As Trump continues to launch major offensives against the remnants of the Democratic Party, will these "beautiful landscapes" proliferate in the future? It seems that with Trump's relentless efforts to eradicate the Democratic Party's influence, such spectacles are likely to become more frequent in the United States.
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