Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass reacts to federalized National Guard troops in her city

NPR

Published June 9, 2025 at 9:26 AM EDT

National Guard soldiers and US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Police officers clash with demonstrators outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, MDC, in downtown Los Angeles, California on June 8, 2025.

Citing a rarely used law, President Trump bypassed California's governor Gavin Newsom, and ordered two thousand national guard troops to Los Angeles for sixty days.

It's the first time in 60 years a president has used federal power to deploy national guard troops without the agreement of the state's governor.

NPR's Scott Detrow speaks with Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass and hears how people in the city are reacting.

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