Rep. Jim Costa Statement on Trump Administration's Deployment of CA National Guard in Los Angeles, CA

FRESNO, Calif. - Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) released the following statement after President Trump deployed California's National Guard in response to ongoing protests in Los Angeles, California. 

“For the first time since the 1960s, a U.S. President has deployed the national guard into a state of our nation without the governor’s request. This is not leadership—it’s an effort to score political points. 

The fundamental right to peaceful freedom of speech must be protected. From Los Angeles to Fresno, Californians are raising their voice, but we must do so peacefully. Violence is never the answer.”