California’s Los Angeles was plunged into massive chaos due to immigration enforcement actions, with tech billionaire Elon Musk expressing support for President Donald Trump’s handling of the situation.
On Sunday evening, Musk shared a post from Trump on the X platform, criticizing California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for their mishandling of the chaos. While Musk did not add any comments, his action was seen as aligning himself with Trump.
He also reposted Vice President J.D. Vance’s emphasis on the statement that “the President cannot tolerate violence and chaos,” along with two American flag emojis. In response to a photo of a protester standing on a burning car, Musk wrote, “This is not acceptable.”
Last week, Musk fiercely criticized Trump’s spending and tax policies, leading to a heated clash between the two. On May 30th, Musk, who had previously served as an advisor to Trump and led the Department of Efficiency, announced his departure from the government to return to the business sector. Trump stated last Friday that he had no intention of repairing his relationship with Musk, while Vance hoped for Musk to get back on track. Musk deleted two of his most intense posts but kept the one criticizing the Build Back Better Act.
Over the weekend, the immigration protests in Los Angeles escalated into chaos. The Department of Homeland Security reported that on Saturday, during an arrest operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Paramount, demonstrators threw rocks and concrete blocks at them. Police used tear gas, stun grenades, and pepper balls to disperse the crowd. Later that evening, clashes erupted in Paramount and nearby Compton, with protesters gathering, blocking roads, and setting fires, causing a momentarily out-of-control situation.
Moreover, a large number of protesters also gathered outside the federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles to protest. Police subsequently declared the gathering as an unlawful assembly and made arrests. Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin noted that the ICE arrest operation targeted a Filipino illegal immigrant with multiple prior convictions, and criticized California officials for “protecting criminals.”
Trump has ordered the deployment of over 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles to address the chaos and public safety threats. He emphasized that with local law enforcement failing, the federal government would intervene to maintain order. Newsom responded by stating that Trump’s unilateral deployment of the National Guard without the state’s consent would escalate the situation, and California would sue the federal government to uphold state rights.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hagseth stated on Saturday that if violence in Los Angeles continues, the Pentagon is prepared to mobilize active-duty forces, with the nearby Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base already on high alert.