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Early Start with Rahel Solomon

Clashes Erupt In L.A. As Trump Deploys National Guard; Newsom: State Will Sue Trump Administration Over Deployment Of National Guard; Mexican President Criticizes Los Angeles Immigration Raids. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired June 09, 2025 - 05:30   ET

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

[05:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: In this case there were a number of these Waymos all lined up on the same street. Vandals were defacing the cars and then ultimately were able to set them ablaze. These fires were raging for quite some time as seen on local television news helicopters. Firefighters eventually arrived once the scene was a little bit safer in order to put those fires out.

Now, I spoke with a spokesperson for Waymo who said the company was in touch with law enforcement about the matter and that's significant for the following reason. Waymo was able to turn off its app -- turn off the ability to request rides around the area where protests were happening. Turning off that functionality meant that other cars could not be ordered by riders for the intent of possibly defacing or lighting them on fire.

So a very 21st century problem for a 21st century technology on the streets in downtown L.A. And it's not the only example of digital city infrastructure being used and weaponized on Sunday.

We also saw Lime scooters, which are seen on streetcorners in lots of major cities, used in order to try to damage police vehicles. Vandals took some of those scooters and threw them onto police cars that were parked on Interstate 101. Lime didn't immediately have any comment on the matter but frankly there wasn't much the company could say. It wasn't as if its scooter were being used illegally by those vandals.

We've seen lots of accurate information spread on social media about this unrest. Lots of people posting their own videos and photos after going out and protesting. But there's also been a lot of misinformation that I've been seeing online about these protests and, in some cases, about the unrest that has resulted.

Senator Ted Cruz, for example, posted a video seemingly criticizing the 2025 protesters, but the video was actually from 2020 showing police cars on fire during the George Floyd uprisings. A number of conservative influencers posted the same video clip on Sunday acting as if it was happening live on television. The intent it seems is to lump in violent rioters and peaceful protesters acting as if they are all the same when in fact, of course, they are not.

That misinformation led California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office to warn people to double-check before they were sharing content on social media.

Back to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN ANCHOR: And while all that plays out, we're keeping a close eye on the economy. U.S. stock futures as well as the dollar actually went up slightly with -- on -- with Friday's report -- some of the numbers that were released -- payroll and job numbers that actually exceeded expectations. Treasury yields also ended higher.

And here is where U.S. futures stand ahead of the opening bell this Monday morning on Wall Street. You can see everything in the green there partially up by a little bit over .01 percent. So we're going to see exactly what -- how things play out after the bell.

And the Los Angeles Police Department spoke about the protests and the police response. We're going to tell you what they said and what their position is right now with the potential for more demonstrations in the days and hours ahead.

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[05:38:00]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back to breaking news coverage of the situation in Los Angeles where at least 27 arrests have already been made in the downtown area there in the city on Sunday. That's according to the L.A. police chief.

President Trump urging the LAPD to "bring in the troops" after Chief Jim McDonnell said that he will have to make a reassessment on the need for the National Guard. Sunday's protests saw a number of clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement on the ground.

L.A. police chief had this to say earlier.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF JIM MCDONNELL, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: I want to just take an opportunity to speak directly to the people of Los Angeles and clarify LAPD's roles in the events that have been playing out over these past couple of days. This includes our response to protests, our public safety responsibilities, and recent claims that you've seen made by some federal officials.

Today I met with Governor Newsom, Mayor Bass, U.S. Attorney General of the Central District of California Bill Essayli, and ICE Acting Director Lyons. Let me begin by reaffirming a core principle. The LAPD supports and

protects the First Amendment right to free speech. In recent days, many protests across the city have been peaceful and we thank the community for expressing their views and their frustration in a responsible manner.

However, when peaceful demonstrations devolve into acts of vandalism or violence, especially violence directed at innocent people, law enforcement officers, and others, we must respond firmly. An act of violence, whether toward officers, demonstrators, or the public, will be met with swift and lawful action.

Our goal is to maintain order without escalating conflict and to protect everybody's right to safety.

Recently public statements have misrepresented LAPD's action from an incident the other night. Specifically, there was a claim that LAPD delayed responding to a federal officer's request for assistance by more than two hours. When we heard that, I think anybody who is a police officer can't -- couldn't believe it. And certainly, anyone with LAPD couldn't imagine how that would happen. Well, it didn't happen, and I just want to go into that just a little bit.

[05:40:10]

The LAPD was not given advanced notice that the federal operation -- federal operations would occur in that area. As a result we were not prepositioned to respond immediately to unrest related to those actions.

Once the call for assistance came in LAPD responded within 38 minutes, and that sounds like a long time, but I'll tell you why that is. The response was impacted by traffic, crowd density in the -- in the area with unrest occurring. Hazardous conditions caused by tear gas that was previously deployed by federal agents at the -- at that location.

Many of our officers -- because it was put together in a mobile field force configuration without advanced notice -- were not equipped with gas masks. But despite these challenges we moved in quickly and as safely as possible. At no point did LAPD ignore or intentionally delay any request for help.

I also want to be unequivocally clear. The Los Angeles Police Department does not participate in or coordinate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on civil immigration enforcement. We have said this over and over again and I can't stress it enough for the people to -- in our community who have high levels of anxiety about this issue -- that we want everybody to believe and be able to call the LAPD in time of need if they've been a victim of a crime or a witness to a crime. We need that. Otherwise, the system does not work.

That has been our policy and remains our policy, and it went into effect in 1979 -- so 46 years ago. That's been the way we do business.

On the other hand, however, when a law enforcement agency -- any agency requests emergency assistance to protect lives, we are obligated to respond, and we do. Public safety is our duty, and we will answer every legitimate call for help from anyone.

We recognize that immigration enforcement operations can cause a deep fear and anxiety, particularly in immigrant communities. That's why we're committed to transparency, accountability, and treating every Angelino with respect regardless of their immigration status. Our job is not to divide communities or politicize law enforcement. Our job is simply to keep everyone safe.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to all of our officers and partner agencies for their dedication and professionalism during these very challenging times. Their commitment to upholding the law, even in the face of hostility, is a reflection of the values that we stand for. We're working together to keep everyone safe -- our officers and the public alike -- and this remains our top priority.

We'll continue to support peaceful protests and enforce the law when criminal acts occur. The LAPD remains focused on its core mission to protect lives, safeguard constitutional rights, and serve every neighborhood in Los Angeles with integrity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And in the last hour I had an opportunity to speak live with Natasha Linstead. She's a professor of government at the University of Essex overseas.

I asked her about the president's decision to federalize California's National Guard right under the government -- the governor's authority. I asked if she's got any concerns about the president doing that. Here's what she told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATASHA LINDSTAEDT, PROFESSOR OF GOVERNMENT, UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX: Trump is basically using the military for law enforcement purposes which violates an 1878 act that says that you cannot do that. And you would have to work in coordination with state leaders -- with governors. And, of course, he's not doing that at all. There is no collaboration taking place.

And he's using the military to go after dissenters. I mean, that's really what happens in authoritarian regimes or in hybrid regimes. They see protesters as terrorists or as rebels and they use the military for domestic law enforcement purposes.

So while Trump is not technically violating the law; he is violating the spirits of our laws, and this is not what happens in democracies.

SANDOVAL: Look, we can't ignore that this is an administration that has tried to make it a priority to take into account state's rights and yet, in this particular situation ignoring that call from the state to basically leave it in their hands. So that's certainly important to keep in mind as we watch the situation play out in California.

Do you think that we're in unchartered legal waters right now regarding that deployment that we just talked about? Do you think this will actually prompt any lawsuits on behalf of the state?

LINDSTAEDT: So certainly we are in unchartered territory, and we have been for some time because Trump's view of the presidency is just very, very different than any president we've ever had. He really likes to lead in a much more autocratic way, violating norms and in some cases violating laws. And as a result there will be lawsuits.

[05:45:05]

And there have been lawsuits on a number of issues as Trump has executed power in this way. And so I can imagine we're just going to keep having these types of legal battles.

But what we've seen -- and this is in contrast to his first administration where he mostly adhered to decisions by federal judges or the Supreme Court. In this case he's just ignoring them. And that strategy seems to be working. He just keeps doing what he wants to do in terms of immigration.

He still has a slight majority of support, and most Americans do think that he's doing the right things regarding immigration. But some of the polling has shown that this has decreased over time. That he's exercising too much power. And I think the end result of all of this is we're seeing that the U.S. is more polarized than ever before.

So while Republicans may agree with deploying the National Guard, for example, Democrats are going to be more appalled by it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Still ahead here on EARLY START the Mexican flag has really become one of the dominant symbols of these demonstrations that we've seen all weekend in Los Angeles. We've seen the flag being held by peaceful protesters but also being held by people near violence and vandalism.

Coming up, what that country's president is saying about the situation in Los Angeles.

You're watching breaking news coverage on CNN.

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[05:50:50]

SANDOVAL: Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York, and here are some of the stories that we are closely watching today.

Police in Los Angeles have declared an unlawful assembly throughout the entire downtown area. This after a third day of protests and unrest in specific parts of the downtown area. This was sparked by federal immigration enforcement across the state. At least 27 people have been arrested in clashes with police there.

And President Trump's new travel ban is now in effect. He signed a proclamation on Wednesday banning nationals from 12 countries. Another seven countries are still facing partial restrictions. The White House says President Trump issued the order to "protect Americans from dangerous foreign actors."

And top-level U.S. and Chinese officials -- they are set to resume trade talks in London today. A lot of people watching these. They are aiming to diffuse the high-stakes dispute between two of the world's largest economies. The stage for the talks was set on Thursday when President Trump and President Xi spoke on the phone for over an hour.

Now I want to get you back to breaking news out of Los Angeles as we approach 3:00 a.m. There are some scattered demonstrators -- they are still in some parts of the city and police are still out there on the streets as well. Now, it's important to point out some of these demonstrations -- they have been throughout the weekend in isolated pockets of the region there.

They are now urging -- authorities there urging businesses and residents to report any vandalism damage or looting that took place. On Sunday, cars were left burning in the street after protesters clashed with law enforcement. Police firing tear gas and pepper balls to try to disperse those crowds over the weekend.

The California governor is now threatening to sue the Trump administration for deploying hundreds of National Guard members there, calling the move "illegal, immoral, and unconstitutional."

Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is publicly criticizing the federal immigration raids in Los Angeles that initially triggered this wave of demonstrations.

On Sunday, she said Los Angeles "would not be what it is without the Mexican men and women who live there." Of course, a reference to those who live and work in Los Angeles but lack legal status.

And she also demanded the rights of Mexican men and women be respected while offering her approach to resolving the migrant crisis.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We do not agree with this way of addressing the migration phenomenon. It is not through raids or violence that the migration phenomenon will be addressed. It is by sitting down and working on the comprehensive immigration reform that takes into account all Mexicans who are on the other side of the border. That is our position. And we will always call for peace, for non-violence, for not exacerbating any form of violent demonstration -- none.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Los Angeles with a massive Mexican-American population. It's also where we find CNN's Kyung Lah. She's been following developments from downtown L.A. She filed this report earlier on Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) KYUNG LAH, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: It's been a long day of protests and skirmishes between the people who are opposed to federal law enforcement and the National Guard showing up in strong numbers here in Los Angeles, federalized by President Donald Trump, as they have continue to have conflict with some of the law enforcement who is here.

What you're looking at is a long line of federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security. There are also some National Guard, the Customs and Border Patrol, and also LAPD.

And this is where it all began. The area that we're standing in right here is right near where the initial protests began. Where we saw the California National Guard lining up. And then there was a skirmish with some of the protesters who were standing on the sidewalk and on the street.

And throughout the day there have been problems. The LAPD was brought in to try to clear the crowds, and then there was a conflict with the federal agents as well at that site. And now we have come to the part of the night where cars are being set on fire. You can see that this Waymo has been vandalized.

[05:55:05]

There are people still sitting on the streets in various corners. The LAPD has called these assemblies unlawful assemblies. On this particular corner I have not been here throughout the duration, so the unlawful assembly was a block away from here. The assumption is that may be the case here as well. But this is all very fluid.

At this point this is still a city where there are many people on the streets and law enforcement still standing in force.

Kyung Lah, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL)

[06:00:05]

SANDOVAL: Three a.m. in Los Angeles after a third day of protests. At this hour police are still out in the city but only a few scattered demonstrations remain. Police say 27 people were arrested after immigration raids sparked widespread anger in the city. Our crews reminding us that much of this activity concentrated on specific parts of downtown Los Angeles.

California Governor Gavin Newsom says that the state will sue the Trump administration over the deployment of the National Guard.

And from the team and I, I want to thank you for watching EARLY START. I'm Polo Sandoval in New York. "CNN THIS MORNING" starts right now.