Newsom Likens Trump to Palpatine: A Divisive Star Wars Comparison
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office released a meme depicting President Trump as Emperor Palpatine, referencing Trump’s response to Los Angeles riots following ICE raids. The meme satirizes Trump’s deployment of the National Guard without Newsom’s request, a move Newsom’s office considers authoritarian. This action highlights the ongoing partisan conflict over federal authority, state sovereignty, and immigration enforcement, with Trump calling for Newsom’s arrest and Newsom suing the federal government. The video, viewed hundreds of thousands of times, underscores the intense political division surrounding the events in Los Angeles.