"Tarred And Feathered": US Speaker Calls For California Governor's Torture

Speaker Mike Johnson said that California Governor Gavin Newsom should be publicly tortured - "tarred and feathered”. However, he refused to say whether Newsom should be arrested. On Tuesday, at a House Republican leadership press conference, he said the question of whether he should be arrested is “not in my lane”.

"I'm not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested," the speaker continued. "But he ought to be tarred and feathered, I'll say that."

"He's standing in the way of the administration of carrying out of federal law. He is applauding the bad guys and standing in the way of the good guys. He is a participant, an accomplice," Johnson said.

On the fourth day of chaotic protests against immigration raids, US President Donald Trump has sent thousands of more troops to Los Angeles.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that this move by the US president is fulfilling "the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president". The state is suing the president for sending in troops without the permission of the governor.

In a war of words, he also responded to Trump saying, "this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism" and that the deployment was "about stroking a dangerous president's ego".

Trump's Border Czar, Tom Homan threatened that elected officials could get arrested if they interfered with agents on the ground. 

“I'm telling you what, we're going to keep enforcing law every day in L.A.,” Homan said. “Every day in L.A., we're going to enforce immigration law. I don't care if they like it or not.”

“I'll say it about anybody,” Homan added. “You cross that line, it's a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It's a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.”

Responding to that, Trump said, "I would do it if I were Tom. I think it's great. I like Gavin Newsom. He's a nice guy. But he's grossly incompetent."

On the other hand, Newsom has dared Homan to arrest him. He said on Sunday, "Come after me, arrest me, let's just get it over with tough guy. I don't give a damn."

To put an end to the protests, about 700 Marines have been deployed in Los Angeles and 4,000 National Guard troops have been mobilised. The American military does not have any domestic law enforcement role. The US Marines had been deployed domestically in 2005 for Hurricane Katrina and for the 26/11 attacks.