Backing Trump response to LA protests, top Republicans hesitate to lay out red line for executive overreach

WASHINGTON (CN) — House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday distanced Congress from oversight of the Trump administration, declining to say whether lawmakers might intervene as the White House escalates its response to protests in Los Angeles.

The White House has deployed thousands of National Guard troops and about 700 U.S. Marines to Los Angeles amid ongoing protests over immigration raids. Trump framed the move as a response to violence during clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement.

Breaking with tradition, Trump activated the California National Guard without Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent, prompting a legal challenge from the state. He claims authority under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which allows limited military deployment under certain conditions.

The White House says the troops are there to protect federal property, but Trump has floated invoking the Insurrection Act, a federal law that permits broader military use as domestic law enforcement in response to the protests.

“We will always do what is needed to keep our Citizens SAFE, so we can, together, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote Monday in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social.

If the administration were to invoke the Insurrection Act, it would face consternation from Democrats and almost certainly incur a legal challenge. But House Republicans have been reticent so far to criticize Trump’s use of executive power.

“He’s fully within his authority right now to do what he is doing,” Johnson told Courthouse News during a news conference Tuesday morning. “We have to maintain order.”

The House speaker declined to say whether Republicans have a “red line” for the administration’s actions, dismissing the question as hypothetical. He instead reaffirmed his support for Trump’s efforts to suppress the protests.

“President Trump has put his hand on the table and said, ‘not on my watch,’ and we applaud that,” Johnson said. “We’re standing with him.”

It’s not the first time House Republicans have refused to engage with questions about Congress’s constitutional role as a check on the executive branch. Johnson in February demurred on asserting his authority as the Trump administration moved to unilaterally shutter the U.S. Agency for International Development — an organization created by an act of Congress.

“We don’t see this as a threat to Article I at all,” Johnson said at the time, referring to the article of the Constitution which lays out the powers of Congress. “We see this as an active, engaged, committed executive branch doing what the executive branch should do.”

Meanwhile, other Republican leaders on Tuesday slammed Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, attempting to tie the weekend’s demonstrations to what they’ve long panned as the Golden State’s lax immigration policy.

“The mayor of Los Angeles and the governor of California actually messed around and found out,” said Representative Lisa McClain, chair of the House Republican Conference. “Now they’re finding out the hard way what it looks like to actually restore law and order.”

Republicans framed the Los Angeles protests as further justification for a sweeping budget bill stalled in the Senate. The measure, which cleared the House last month, would boost funding for ICE and border security.

“The time is now to restore law and order, enforce our nation’s immigration laws and hold leaders accountable who are not leading, who refuse to lead,” House Majority Whip Tom Emmer told reporters.

As the Los Angeles demonstrations develop, Trump has heaped criticism on Newsom, claiming that he and Bass had “instigated” the protests. Speaking to reporters at the White House on Monday, the president even suggested that he would be open to his administration’s border czar Tom Homan arresting Newsom.

“I would do it if I were Tom,” said Trump. “He’s done a terrible job — I like Gavin Newsom. He’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent.”

In a post on X Monday, Newsom called the president’s comments an “unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”

Asked Tuesday whether the federal government could arrest California’s governor, Johnson declined to weigh in, saying it was “not my lane.” Still, he delivered a sharp critique of Newsom’s response to the protests.

“He ought to be tarred and feathered,” said Johnson. “He’s standing in the way of the administration and the carrying out of federal law. He’s a participant, an accomplice.”

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