Democrats are accusing President Trump of an abuse of power with his decision to send the National Guard into Los Angeles, but they face a political tightrope in responding to the immigration protests that prompted the move.

Party leaders in and out of California have blasted the administration for going around Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and accused Trump of a calculated move to escalate tensions.

Still, some Democrats also acknowledge that pushback to Trump could become a political liability as images of chaos emerge from the demonstrations, warning protesters to stay peaceful and not take the bait.

“I think Trump has played this brilliantly, because there's really not a whole lot of middle ground between looking like you're supporting violent demonstrators and supporting law enforcement,” said California Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio.

Trump has already “weaponized this very effectively,” Maviglio said, capitalizing on anxieties around immigration and his longstanding efforts to “paint California as the bastion of what's wrong with Democratic control.”

Demonstrators in the Golden State have been expressing outrage at the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, after Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 118 immigrants during operations in Los Angeles last week.

Against Newsom’s objections, Trump over the weekend activated 2,000 National Guard members to quell the protests and protect federal officers, a rare case of a president calling in the forces without a state’s agreement.

If Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) “can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!” Trump vowed on Truth Social.

Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Saturday condemned “violent rioters” and called out Democratic politicians to “tone down dangerous........

© The Hill