Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks in Los Angeles on March 26, 2025. (Frazer Harrison/WireImage)
Despite the copycat accusation, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson acknowledged that "the more Democrats follow the president’s lead to crack down on crime, the better it is for the American people!"
"Stopping crime should not be a partisan exercise, but Democrats like Newscum have tried to make it one," she added. "President Trump’s partnership with DC MPD has resulted in record drops in crime and countless dangerous criminals being removed from DC’s streets."
NEWSOM SAYS IT’S TIME FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP TO ‘GROW UP’ IN REBUKE OVER NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT
During a news conference on Thursday, Newsom criticized President Donald Trump for "militarizing American cities" amid the president's crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C. His announcement followed remarks at POLITICO's California Summit on Wednesday, where Newsom ridiculed the president's "authoritarian tendencies."
Newsom also blasted the president for federalizing the National Guard in California without his request earlier this summer. Trump has since followed suit in Washington, D.C., and floated similar action in Baltimore and Chicago to fight crime.
When Trump announced he was deploying the National Guard to the nation's capital earlier this month, he singled out Los Angeles and Oakland as "very bad" on crime and later said San Francisco had been "destroyed" by Democratic leadership.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., attends a press conference on July 2, 2025, in Burbank, Calif. (Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2023, Newsom said if Trump was serious about fighting crime in the United States, then he should send troops to Louisiana and Mississippi. Both red states have homicide rates nearly four times higher than California.
Newsom's office also highlighted California's $1.7 billion investment in fighting crime since 2019, touting that homicide, robbery and property crime rates have dropped in line with or below pre-pandemic levels, according to Major Cities Chiefs Association data.
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The California governor made his announcement as some blue states and cities brace for the possible deployment of National Guard troops to fight crime in their communities.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/newsom-deploys-crime-teams-statewide-white-house-mocks-copying-trump-agenda