Trump Declares War On California – Video

Dissatisfied with California’s efforts to enforce his immigration policies – Trump threatens to pull federal agents from the state.

Trump threatened to withdraw Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents out of the State of California on Thursday as punishment for the state doing a “lousy management job” of enforcing his federal immigration initiatives.

CNN reported on the remarks:

“You know what, I’m thinking about doing it,” Trump said at a roundtable with state and local officials to address ideas to stop gun violence in the wake of the Parkland school massacre. His comments came after he decried the state of law enforcement in the Golden State.

“We’re getting no help from the state of California. Frankly, if I pulled our people from California, you would have a crime nest like you’ve never seen in California. All I’d have to do is say ‘ICE, Border Patrol, leave California alone,'” he said during a listening session at the White House.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that Trump also took a shot at state leadership:

“They are doing a lousy management job,” Trump said. “They have the highest taxes in the nation and they don’t know what’s happening out there. Frankly, it’s a disgrace, the sanctuary city situation, the protection of these horrible criminals in California and other places. If we ever pulled our ICE out and we ever said, ‘hey, let California learn and let them figure it out for themselves,’ in two months, they’d be begging for us to come back. They would be begging.”

Continuing, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that:

Trump and his administration have stepped up enforcement of immigration laws since he took office, so much so that Senators Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris, both Democrats, sent a joint letter to the Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan asking for detailed information about how raids are prioritized and asking for communications regarding upcoming raids in the state.

“Diverting resources in an effort to punish California and score political points is an abhorrent abuse of power, not to mention a terrible misuse of scarce resources,” the letter said.

“We don’t conduct raids,” Homan said during an interview with Fox News, adding: “We conduct targeted enforcement operations. We don’t go into neighborhoods, knocking on a bunch of doors, looking for people that are different than us.”

Trump has yet to elaborate on his remarks, but response on Twitter was swift with Sen. Feinstein leading the charge, tweeting: “The president’s obsession with California is growing more outrageous by the day. His attacks are not only mean-spirited, they’re patently false.”

Her tweet also contained the following official statement:

President Trump today renewed his attacks on California with more insults and threats. The president’s obsession with our state is growing more outrageous by the day.

California has the 6th largest economy in the world. We’re the global hub of innovation and the largest farm state in the country. We’re creating jobs and driving the nation’s economy. At the same time, the state’s murder rate keeps falling and crime is at a historic low.

The president’s attacks are not only mean-spirited, they’re patently false.

CNN anchor Christopher Cuomo tweeted: “No time to divide. Leaders unite. They certainly don’t threaten to expose an entire state – the largest one at that – to peril. If he put a lot more ICE there, locals would have less trouble dealing with immigration issues.”

Steve Westly, the former Controller & CFO of the State of California, tweeted: “Trump is threatening to pull all ICE agents from California. What will we do when an aggressive police force no longer bullies businesses and splits up families for the terrible crime of wanting a better life? California will be fine, Donald.”

 

Samuel Warde
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