In a significant move, President Trump invoked a seldom-used law to deploy two thousand National Guard troops to Los Angeles for a period of sixty days, bypassing California Governor Gavin Newsom. This action marks the first instance in six decades where a president has utilized federal authority to mobilize National Guard forces without the state governor’s consent. The deployment of troops to Los Angeles has sparked tensions and raised concerns among the city’s residents and officials.

Following this development, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass shared her reactions to the federalized National Guard presence in the city. NPR’s Scott Detrow engaged in a discussion with Mayor Bass to shed light on the sentiments and responses of the local community towards this federal intervention. The clash between National Guard soldiers, US Department of Homeland Security Police officers, and demonstrators outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025, underscores the heightened atmosphere in the city due to the troop deployment.

The unprecedented nature of this federal action and the implications it carries for the relationship between federal and state authorities have drawn attention to the broader implications of such interventions in domestic affairs. The situation in Los Angeles serves as a focal point for examining the balance of power between federal and state governments in matters of law enforcement and public order. As the city grapples with the presence of federalized National Guard troops, the discourse surrounding this deployment continues to evolve, prompting discussions on states’ rights and federal intervention protocols.