The US government is deploying soldiers against demonstrators in California - despite vehement protests from the Democratic governor.

The governor of California considers the mobilization of the National Guard against protesters in his state at the behest of US President Donald Trump to be illegal. The government's "unlawful" actions without his consent are a "grave violation of the state's sovereignty," according to a letter of protest that Governor Gavin Newsom sent to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and published on Platform X.

Contrary to regulations, the government's official letter regarding the deployment of the National Guard was not sent to the governor's office, and the governor did not approve the deployment either. Furthermore, the "coordination" with the governor of California mentioned in Trump's directive to the Department of Defense never took place. Local security forces are capable of handling the isolated protests on their own, so the deployment of soldiers is not only unnecessary but risky.

Newsom's office therefore called on Pentagon chief Hegseth to immediately revoke the deployment order to the National Guard and to return its soldiers "under the lawful control of the State of California."

In the United States, states normally control the National Guard—a military reserve unit that is part of the U.S. Armed Forces. Each state has its own National Guard, which can be deployed in the event of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, or domestic unrest. It is then under the command of the respective governor. In the event of war or national emergencies, the U.S. president can assume command.