A California sheriff running for governor has slammed current Gov. Gavin Newsom for “fueling” the Los Angeles riots, telling the Democrat to “put his phone down” and “stay out of the way of law enforcement.”
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said the rioters clearly “are not protesting” Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and should not be left free to “facilitate the downfall of our civilized society.”
“They are trying to violently influence something by political action. That is what this is. That is everything that the Constitution stands against,” Bianco, who is running as a Republican, told Fox News.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announces the Golden State Literacy Plan and deployment of literacy coaches statewide, at the Clinton Elementary School in Compton, on June 5, 2025. REUTERS
A person displaying multiple flags walks past a burning car during protests over the Trump administration’s immigration raids in Los Angeles, Monday, June 9, 2025. AP“That is what law enforcement stands against, and that is what will facilitate the downfall of our civilized society. A civilized society has an adherence to the rule of law, and there is consequence for breaking that social compact,” he added.
Rioters waving a Mexican flag confront police officers as demonstrations grow in Los Angeles. AFP via Getty ImagesHe urged Newsom to “put his phone down … and be quiet because he is doing nothing but fueling this process.”
“He needs to stay out of the way of law enforcement. He knows nothing about this. He knows absolutely nothing about the enforcement of law. He despises the enforcement of law, and he has encouraged this,” Bianco said.
Police officers in riot gear during protests on June 9, 2025. AFP via Getty ImagesPresident Trump has also blamed Newsom for failing to handle the violence, which erupted in the country’s second-largest city over the weekend.
The president has deployed hundreds of Marines and National Guard troops to the city, and Newsom responded by suing the Trump administration.
Sheriff Chad Bianco of Riverside County said agitators “are not protesting” and criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom for not taking appropriate action. Fox NewsWhite House “border czar” Tom Homan, meanwhile, told CBS News on Monday “there’s no intention to arrest” Newsom, after Trump suggested putting the governor in handcuffs.
“Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing,” Trump said Monday after three nights of unrest in LA.
