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Comedian Jon Stewart has accused Donald Trump of fueling the riots in Los Angeles, after immigration raids in the city sparked days of major unrest.
The Daily Show host said the situation was “the very predictable result of a liberal city, reliant on an immigrant population, colliding with a heavy-handed MAGA migrant-trawling operation looking to hit its quota of brown Pokemen. Gotta catch ’em all!”
Stewart continued: “So now, predictably, these non-targeted, much broader deportation efforts in cities that feel very connected to the immigrant population is a tinderbox. And Trump happily lights the fuse.”
The president deployed thousands of national guard troops in L.A. to quell the protests over the weekend, claiming on Monday that L.A. would have been “completely obliterated” had he not done so.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said: “ARREST THE PEOPLE IN FACE MASKS, NOW!”
Trump also said of the protestors: “If they spit, we will hit”, saying such “disrespect” towards the national guard would not be tolerated.
Stewart said this was an interesting shift in stance from the president, who on the first day of his second term pardoned 1,500 people convicted in relation to the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots in which hundreds stormed the Capitol building in a bid to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.
“Now, obviously, this is a bit of a change in attitude from Trump towards protecting law enforcement from his previous January 6 attitude of, they hit, we don't give a s***,” Stewart said.
Stewart said the situation in L.A. was “explosive”.
“And quick question for those of you who live in that area: Is your city ever not on fire?” he said.
“Whether you win a basketball championship, a World Series championship, whether you have an exploding pinata gender reveal gone wrong — congratulations, it’s a boy and an evacuation! — or you’re just protesting the Trump administration’s expanded deportation raids, L.A. continues to be our most flammable city.”
Trump had authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops on Saturday, and about 300 troops were deployed across three locations on Sunday morning as clashes continued through the day.
On Monday, the Trump administration announced it would deploy a further 2,000 troops, a decision slammed by California governor Gavin Newsom who said it was a “reckless” and “pointless” effort.
“This isn’t about public safety,” Newsom said on Monday. “It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego.”
