Trump forced to retreat in bid to wrest control of blue state's National Guard
President Donald Trump's administration was forced to retreat from a lawsuit seeking to wrest control of the California National Guard from Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to a new report.
The Department of Justice said in a brief filed to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday that the agency is withdrawing its request to federalize the California National Guard to protect immigration agents from protesters during raids, The Los Angeles Times reported. The outlet added that the move complicates the administration's path forward, considering that the Supreme Court cast doubt on Trump's legal theory for federalizing troops in Illinois.
Newsom celebrated the ruling in a statement posted on X.
“This admission by Trump and his occult cabinet members means this illegal intimidation tactic will finally come to an end,” Newsom wrote.
Trump has repeatedly attempted to federalize the National Guard in cities across the country. He first deployed troops to Washington, D.C., under the guise of combating crime, although experts have strongly disputed Trump's rationale.
Courts across the country have also appeared skeptical of the move. Most recently, the Supreme Court ruled in Trump v. Illinois that the president did not establish the appropriate prerequisites for deploying the National Guard.