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Kathryn Barger is Interviewed about Unrest in L.A.; Tricia McLaughlin is Interviewed about Troops Ordered to L.A. Protests; Officials Discussing ways to Avoid using the Insurrection Act. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired June 10, 2025 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:00:00]

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Didn't do anything unlawful here and will be formally protesting what they are describing as their unlawful detention before an Israeli judicial hearing. The Israeli government, for its part, has not disputed that this ship was boarded in international waters, but they are insisting that their actions were in accordance with international law in order to prevent vessels from getting into the Gaza Strip.

Now, all of this is happening as we are still watching a continued violence around these Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid sites in Gaza. The Palestinian Ministry of Health today saying that more than 30 people were killed by gunfire near those aid sites.

We also know that there is some cautious optimism surrounding progress in these negotiations to reach a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, with Steve Witkoff, President Trump's special envoy, telling Israeli officials that he believes that new understandings are starting to form with Hamas. Not clear exactly what those understandings are, but the Israeli security cabinet now set to meet on Thursday to discuss the progress in these negotiations.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Jeremy, thank you so much for your reporting, as always. Really appreciate it.

A new hour of CNN NEWS CENTRAL starts now.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, breaking just moments ago, President Trump defending his decision to send military troops to Los Angeles, saying he is the reason the city is not burning to the ground.

A federal judge rules the Office of Personnel Management broke the law when it gave Elon Musk and his team access to the personal data of millions of federal workers.

And severe storms expected to hit all over the country. Where we could see tornadoes and severe flooding today.

I'm John Berman, with Kate Bolduan, Sara Sidner in Los Angeles. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we begin with breaking news this morning. I am live here in downtown Los Angeles, where the sun has now come out, giving you a look at some of the destruction that happened after tensions flared once again for a fifth day into the wee hours of this morning between police and those protesting the immigration raids that have been happening across not only the city, but across the state.

Just to give you a view of what's happening here, this is the area, this is the flashpoint where you're seeing some of these protests in the evening start to turn violent and destructive. And to give you a view of what's happening now, you can see the National Guard is here standing, and with their equipment, outside of the federal building and federal courthouse, which is right to the left of them, outside the VA, another federal building, and to the left of me, outside of the Federal Detention Center, where I.C.E. detainees go.

Overnight, new clashes happened right where we are standing near these federal buildings. You can see some of the graffiti as well. But we were seeing damage and vandalism in some pockets of downtown. By no means the whole area.

Protesters appeared to throw fireworks and other objects at police. Officers in riot gear firing flash bangs and rubber bullets back at protesters trying to move them along. And we should mention that as the night went on, by 8:00, 9:00, 10:00, the number of protesters really shrunk to about a couple of dozen from what we could see.

Now, the Pentagon, though, is sending in 700 Marines to Los Angeles, and the president says he is doubling the number of members of the National Guard on the ground here, which would bring the total number of guards personnel to 4,000 people here in Los Angeles.

The Pentagon -- also the president posting this a short time ago, saying, quote, "if I didn't send in the troops to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great city would be burning to the ground right now."

That is not how local political authorities, nor the local police have seen it, who have said that they do have this under control. And they showed some of that last night as these protests dwindled and then petered out.

Now, we are seeing this across the country. We are seeing these eruptions against these I.C.E. raids happening across the country in cities like New York and Dallas and Atlanta and Seattle, among other cities.

And now I would like you to be introduced to Kathryn Barger. She is the chair of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors for the Fifth District.

Supervisor Barger, let me first ask you this, are the protests or the I.C.E. raids having a bigger impact on the city of Los Angeles?

[09:05:10]

KATHRYN BARGER, CHAIR, L.A. COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 5TH DISTRICT: Well, right now I would argue the protests are having a bigger impact on what is taking place downtown. I mean, this is not peaceful protests. These are anarchists who are going in and -- really opportunists. They are taking advantage of a situation that unfortunately continues to escalate.

So, right now, my concern are the protesters. Not the peaceful, which we saw when they were downtown supporting, you know, David Huerta. I think it's important for us to recognize that -- that they are coming in peace. But there are those that are embedded that are really attacking law enforcement. This is not about I.C.E. This is about completely dismantling law enforcement.

SIDNER: Let me ask you about this unprecedented step that Donald Trump has taken of deploying Marines on U.S. soil due to protests and then doubling the number of National Guard members here. Is that needed in the city right now?

BARGER: Well, early on, when the National Guard was brought in, it was brought in to protect the I.C.E. agents because the federal government, the president, and Homan did not feel that I.C.E. were being protected. We saw agents being attacked, rocks being thrown, and, quite frankly, people's lives were put in jeopardy.

At this point, I believe LAPD and the sheriff's department have it under control. They've brought in mutual aid from other departments throughout L.A. County. And I feel right now, and you see -- you've reported on it, last night we were able to hold at a bay. But then, of course, we have looting taking place downtown. Again, individuals that are not there to protest I.C.E., they are there to take advantage of the situation.

SIDNER: Look, some of your colleagues have said that bringing in the National Guard and bringing in, for example, the Marines ratchets up tension. Do you feel the same way?

BARGER: No, I feel -- actually, I think that we're all really guilty. And I -- and I say guilty because the leaders need to be the voice of reason. The -- the -- the -- setting the tone. And the rhetoric that's taking place, quite frankly, is not helping the situation.

It's important to communicate both at the state and federal level. You know, I represent an area that's been devastated by the fires. The reason why we've been able to move so quickly is because we have communicated and coordinated. By not doing so, you create chaos. And so, I think the leaders also need to set the tone as it relates to what's going on. And -- and I don't feel that -- that that's what's taking place.

SIDNER: Are you speaking of the leaders that are serving with you or what Donald Trump said, which is, "if I didn't send in the troops to Los Angeles in the last three nights, that the once beautiful city would be burned to the ground." Who's rhetoric are you referring to? BARGER: Across the board. Across the board. This is not an us against them. You know, last time I checked, I.C.E. is part of the federal government. They are an arm of law enforcement. And it's across the board. I mean it's not just on the Republican or the Democrat side, it's across the board.

There is no question that when we pushed I.C.E. out of the jails and -- and did not allow them to take criminal immigrants that -- that are -- that are here illegally, that we pushed it into the community, and this is the result of that. So, it's across the board. It's not -- it's not one or the other, it's all.

SIDNER: Do you think the sanctuary city, the way in which that exists, is creating a problem here? You just mentioned that you -- you think that because of the rules that were set in place by then Governor Jerry Brown, that the state is a sanctuary state, that that is causing the problem, or do you see the problem also as President Trump not going through the governor, which is the norm to bring in the National Guard?

BARGER: Again, all of the above. We've had, up until 2016 when Alex Villanueva became sheriff, I.C.E. was there, 287 G, in our jails, actually handing over undocumented that had -- had felony cases that -- that needed to be taken out of the country. They were pushed out of the jail, which meant that now when I.C.E. has to go in and take custody of one of these individuals, they have to go into the community. That's what you're seeing happen.

As it relates to, you know, the governor, I share his frustration. You know, it's -- it -- you find out that -- that the National Guard is coming in and there's no coordination. I talked to Sheriff Luna. There's no coordination between local law enforcement and -- and the National Guard. And -- and it's just a no-win situation across the board.

[09:10:05]

SIDNER: And you mentioned I.C.E. Glendale has now, one of the cities in Los Angeles County, has now said that they are no longer going to be cooperating with I.C.E. They were one of the few cities left that did when it came to those who were being detained.

So, we will see what happens. We will also be here on the ground to see what happens here in downtown Los Angeles. Smaller protests. But there has been some destruction.

Kathryn Barger, it is a pleasure. Thank you so much for speaking to us this morning.

BARGER: Thank you.

SIDNER: Over to you, John.

BERMAN: All right, we're going to have much more on this new information about the situation on the ground there and decisions being made at the White House about what happens next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:15:13]

BERMAN: President Trump doubling the number of National Guard troops sent to Los Angeles. This despite a night which really saw a little bit of a de-escalation in the protests there.

With us now is Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security.

Great to see you again, Secretary. Thank you for coming on the show this morning.

We just heard from the chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Republican Kathryn Barger. And she said to Sara Sidner that the LAPD and the sheriff's department has this under control.

If they have it under control, why is it necessary to double the number of National Guard troops?

TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY, DHS: Well, John, last night we actually saw that our law enforcement -- there was Molotov cocktails being thrown at them. They were being bombarded by rocks being thrown at them as well. Pummeled. Again, fires being lit. Public property being defaced. So, for them to say that they have this under control is just absolutely false. But they've been saying that since the beginning. Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass have been saying that this is mostly peaceful when Americans have eyes and ears and they can see for themselves that these have not been peaceful protests as cars have been lit on fire and our law enforcement has been assaulted.

So, we would like for local and state law enforcement to actually get this under control, John. But I think President Trump is absolutely showing leadership here by calling in for more resources so that we can make sure L.A. community -- communities are safe and that American citizens are safe.

BERMAN: What metrics do you have that show that last night was worse than the nights before? Because by all the evidence, there were fewer -- I'm not saying there wasn't violence, because absolutely there was violence and there were clashes between protesters and police, but it was less than and less extreme than the previous night. So, what metrics do you have that show the opposite?

MCLAUGHLIN: I didn't say that things have escalated further. I actually think, thanks to the National Guard being called in, as well as the Marines, we have more resources to make sure that our federal buildings, that there's crowd control.

But I -- we have our own eyes and ears as metrics, John, which is to show that there are Molotov cocktails being thrown. There is I.C.E. enforcement and National Guard troops, rocks being pummeled at them, fires and -- being lit, and American flags being burned. So, I can -- I think we can rely on our own images to tell the story.

BERMAN: So, again, and if we can rely on our own eyes. Last night we were all watching. The National Guard troops were literally behind the LAPD, the Los Angeles Police, and the sheriff's department, not engaging directly with the protesters. They were protecting federal buildings, absolutely lined up around the federal buildings. But they weren't engaged with the protesters themselves.

So, again, how will doubling the number of them, if that is their mission, change the situation?

MCLAUGHLIN: John, because of Gavin Newsom's lack of leadership, we've had a whole of government approach. And I think Americans can be so proud of their law enforcement in the face of assaults, in the face of really hatred, in the face of major threats calling for the killing of I.C.E., the death to America. Our I.C.E. enforcement officers, our National Guard, and our military has stood with professionalism, with dignity, with patriotism. And I think that this is something the American people can be very proud of. I know the Trump administration is incredibly proud of the professionalism we've seen out of our National Guard and other members of law enforcement, and we thank them.

BERMAN: What about the state and local officers? Can Americans be proud of what they did last night as they were the ones directly engaging with the protesters?

MCLAUGHLIN: Oh, absolutely. We are very proud of our state and local law enforcement officials who, again, these protesters have been burning American flags, threatening these law enforcement officers, taunting them. It's disgusting the behavior. And it's a shame that Karen Bass and Governor Newsom continue to stand by them, not calling them down, especially -- I think we should get back to the root as well, John, of what these protests are about, is about these I.C.E. enforcement officers just carrying out the law.

I mean in the last 72 hours, I.C.E. enforcement officers have arrested child molesters, rapists, murderers, multiple gang members. They are putting themselves on the front lines, risking their lives every single day to make American communities safer.

BERMAN: To be clear, both the mayor, Karen Bass, and the governor have condemned the violence of the protesters. When the protesters become violent, they each have said that it is a bad thing and for it to stop.

[09:20:00]

What are the discussions right now concerning the Insurrection Act and whether or if it will be invoked?

MCLAUGHLIN: I'm not going to get ahead of the president of the United States. I'm not going to get ahead of the secretary. But I will say, John, that, you know, we are dedicated to making sure that it is calm, that it is peaceful, and that American communities are safe, and that the protesters themselves are also safe. BERMAN: The section, the law that's being used right now is section

12406 that states that the National Guard can be called up -- in the absence of the Insurrection Act, it says the National Guard can be deployed if the president is unable, with the regular forces, to execute the laws of the United States. Again, based on what you saw last night, are they unable to execute the laws, or was this situation handled?

MCLAUGHLIN: I think that things have calmed slightly, John, because of the leadership of President Trump. On Sunday night, we had protesters and rioters, about 6,000 of them, completely outnumbering our I.C.E. enforcement officers and our law enforcement on the ground. The same happened on Friday where our I.C.E. enforcement officers in our federal buildings were completely surrounded by about a thousand protesters. So, that is when the president decided to call in the National Guard.

That's leadership, John. We saw what happened in 2020. Our great American cities being burned to the ground because of poor, weak leadership. And I think President Trump showed major courage by being willing to call in the National Guard.

BERMAN: And just finally, again, Section 12406 says that "orders for these purposes shall be issued through the governors of the states." Were these orders issued through Governor Gavin Newsom?

MCLAUGHLIN: They're issued by the president of the United States, who saw that our I.C.E. enforcement officers, that our law enforcement were being pummeled by rocks, they were being attacked, Molotov cocktails being thrown at them. American cities, Los Angeles citizens being put at risk. That's real leadership to actually put more resources on the ground, to make sure that things don't spiral further out of control and no lives are lost.

BERMAN: All right, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Nice to see you this morning. Thank you very much.

MCLAUGHLIN: Thanks, John.

BERMAN: All right, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who again ordered 700 Marines to Los Angeles, will face questions on Capitol Hill this morning. No doubt about that. Also really, for the first time, extensive questions about how he is running the Pentagon, signal-gate. Remember that?

Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:26:58]

BOLDUAN: So even with 700 Marines headed to Los Angeles and nearly 4,000 National Guard troops called up, the U.S. military intervention in California could still escalate even more. Sources tell CNN the president has considered invoking the Insurrection Act, the law which would allow troops to directly participate in civilian law enforcement for which there's really little precedent for.

But behind closed doors, CNN also has new reporting that administration attorneys are working to find a much less confrontational way to get involved.

CNN's Evan Perez has this new reporting. He's joining us right now.

And, Evan, tell us more about what you're learning and what the internal discussion is here.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, you've heard a lot from Stephen Miller, who's the architect of the -- of the harsh immigration crackdown by this administration. You've also heard from President Trump repeatedly using the word insurrectionist or insurrection over the last few days. He's had -- had a bit of a mixed message here. Also -- he's also said he didn't know whether it had actually reached that level.

But behind the scenes, you know, you have this discussion inside the administration over whether to declare this to be an insurrection and to use the Insurrection Act, which would allow the use of the U.S. military to do law enforcement duties. And so what you see right now is something below that. You have the administration lawyers who have crafted the president's memorandum that was issued over the weekend. It's done under something called Title Ten. And it is a much more -- it is a much less confrontational way of going about this. The troops are still there. They're there in limited capacity to -- to protect federal buildings.

The Justice Department says that they are -- they are there to enforce U.S. law, federal law, because local -- local law enforcement is not able to. Of course, you know, back in 2020, the president addressed this very question. I think we might have a clip of him talking about this in an ABC town hall.

OK, well, we don't have the sound. But in -- in 2020, he said that he needed a governor to actually order the National Guard to go into to -- to -- to quell unrest in the nation's cities.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Oh, how things have changed, right, Evan.

PEREZ: Right.

BOLDUAN: And, Evan, what are you hearing about how -- so we know that the governor is suing the administration over calling up -- calling up the National Guard without them asking.

PEREZ: Right.

BOLDUAN: And John was actually talking about this with -- with a spokesperson over at DHS just -- just a couple minutes ago. Could that change the president's calculation, this lawsuit?

PEREZ: Yes, exactly. So, officials are telling Paula Reid that -- that that may very well change their calculation, because they may actually have to invoke the Insurrection Act, depending on how things are going on the streets in Los Angeles, and also because of this lawsuit. The lawsuit from the California governor says that the -- that the federal government doesn't have the right to federalize these troops because the conditions aren't been -- haven't been met.

[09:30:02]

And also, he did not acquiesce to this. So, that is something that's going to play out in court.

We'll see because, you know, we've seen this before with the federal government.