California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed his Florida counterpart Ron DeSantis for offering to send National Guard troops to deal with immigration protests in Los Angeles.
In an email to the Miami Herald, Newsom spokesperson Diana Crofts-Pelayo said the offer was declined because "the guard were not needed in the first place" and called it an "attempt to inflame an already chaotic situation made worse by his party's leaders."
DeSantis addressed the protests taking place in Los Angeles on Tuesday, saying episodes of violence seen in the city "would never fly in the state of Florida, not for one minute." "You would end up in the slammer very quickly," he added.
The governor went on to say he supports the Trump administration's decision to send National Guard troops against the wishes of Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats. The administration has also sent 700 Marines there.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, on his end, said he will deploy National Guard troops in anticipation of protests across different cities this week, vowing to "ensure peace and order."
Abbott said in a statement that while "peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation," Texas "will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles."
"Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be swiftly held accountable to the full extent of the law," adds a passage of the statement reported by ABC News.
Bass did implement a curfew in downtown Los Angeles on Friday and after five nights of protests, resulting in dozens of arrests.
Demonstrations, however, have spread across the U.S. CBS News detailed that some have taken place in Austin, Washington D.C. and San Francisco this week, and more are expected in the coming days. In fact, activists are planning larger protests on Saturday to coincide with President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington. Events are set to be called "No Kings."
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