Gavin Newsom criticizes Trump over ‘carnival of chaos’ after Minnesota ICE shooting

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: As outrage grows nationwide over the fatal ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Good, California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized President Donald Trump, accusing him of creating a 'carnival of chaos.'

Speaking at the California State Capitol on January 8, Newsom condemned what he described as the shooting of civilians and claimed the administration is using American cities as training grounds for the US military. Video of the deadly encounter has spread widely online, fueling debate as Democrats denounce the shooting while the Trump administration forcefully defends the ICE agent’s actions.

Gavin Newsom warns democracy is at risk while targeting Trump

In a speech to the California Legislature, Gavin Newsom slammed President Donald Trump and what he called unprecedented actions during Trump’s first year back in the White House.

Newsom said, "The president believes that might makes right, that the courts are simply speed bumps, not stops."

He accused Trump of undermining democracy and described a climate of fear marked by raids, detentions, and citizens being harmed or taken in public.

"That democracy is a nuisance to be circumvented. Secret police, businesses being raided, windows smashed, citizens detained, citizens shot, masked men snatching, people in broad daylight, people disappearing."

Newsom, one of the most outspoken Democrats opposing Trump, said the president governs through fear and creates 'purposeful chaos emanating from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.'

He called the situation a 'carnival of chaos,' pointing to National Guard deployments in Democratic-led cities such as Los Angeles and cuts to key federal funding. “None of this is normal,” Newsom said, urging California to stand up to what he called Trump’s assault on American values and warning that democracy is at risk.

Trump administration’s response to Minnesota ICE shooting

The Trump administration defended the ICE agent’s actions in the shooting of Renee Nicole Good. In a social media post, President Trump said Good acted in a disorderly manner and resisted officers before driving her car into the ICE agent.

He said "The woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense."

Trump also argued that such incidents happen because what he called the 'radical left' threatens and targets law enforcement officers and ICE agents on a daily basis.

Vice President JD Vance echoed that defense during a White House briefing on Thursday January 6. He claimed Good had been 'brainwashed' and suggested she was connected to what he described as a 'broader left-wing network.'

Gavin Newsom highlights his record during his State of the State address

Gavin Newsom used his State of the State address to highlight his record and outline his plans for his final year in office. He pointed to what he described as major progress, saying, "You've seen double-digit decreases in crime overall in the state of California,"

California Republican Party Chairwoman Corrin Rankin pushed back in a statement, saying Governor Newsom told Californians that homelessness is down, crime is at record lows, schools are improving and Los Angeles is recovering after the Palisades fires.

She argued that the governor described a version of California that does not reflect reality. "Governor Newsom painted a picture of a California that exists in his imagination."

Newsom, who recently led efforts to block President Trump’s redistricting push ahead of the November midterm elections, said California will not back down. He called the state a 'beacon' and said it offers a different path and policy model for others to follow.