Border Czar Tom Homan Calls CA Gov. Gavin Newsom an Embarrassment Over ICE [WATCH]

White House border czar Tom Homan on Thursday strongly criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom for comments accusing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of operating as President Donald Trump’s “private police force,” as reported by Newsmax.

“Newsom is an embarrassment to the position he holds. Hard stop,” Homan told reporters. “If he had an ounce of integrity, he’d be calling President Trump and thanking him for making LA safer. He’d be calling the head of ICE and thanking them for the thousands of criminals, public safety threats they’ve taken off the streets of California.”

Homan’s remarks came in response to Newsom’s statements a day earlier at a Politico Summit, where the governor criticized ICE operations in his state.

BREAKING: Tom Homan just CALLED OUT @GavinNewsom after refusing to direct his authorities to work with ICE and DHS:

“Gavin Newsom is an embarrassment to the position he holds. Hard stop. If he had an ounce of integrity, he would be calling President Trump and thanking… pic.twitter.com/dCE5bCH0DT

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) August 28, 2025

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“When they’re done with this — all that funding and that ‘big beautiful betrayal’ allows more resources for this private police force that increasingly is showing a tendency not to swear an oath to the Constitution, but to the president of the United States,” Newsom said.

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The exchange is the latest in a long series of public disputes between President Trump and Governor Newsom. Their clashes intensified during protests in Los Angeles in June, when Trump deployed the National Guard to restore order after violent unrest linked to ICE enforcement actions.

As tensions escalated over the summer, Trump commented on Newsom’s handling of the situation and ICE’s role in California.

Speaking to reporters, Trump said, “If I were [border czar Tom Homan], I’d arrest Newsom. I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity. He’s done a terrible job. I like Gavin Newsom. He’s a nice guy but he’s grossly incompetent, everybody knows.”

Newsom quickly responded to Trump’s comments on social media. “The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor,” he wrote on X.

“I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”

The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor.

This is a day I hoped I would never see in America.

I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward… pic.twitter.com/tsTX1nrHAu

— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 9, 2025

The back-and-forth underscores the growing divide between California leadership and the Trump administration over immigration enforcement, particularly as ICE operations continue to target individuals with criminal records and outstanding deportation orders in the state.

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