Vance Headed to Los Angeles to Meet With Troops

The vice president’s visit comes on the heels of a court ruling that found the federal government has the authority to control the National Guard.

Vice President JD Vance speaks during an event in Washington on May 14, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Pool via Reuters

Vice President JD Vance is traveling to Los Angeles on Friday to visit with military leadership and tour facilities in the area following days of civil unrest.

Vance plans to visit federal command and operations centers, meet with Marines sent to safeguard the region, and speak to the assembled group, the White House said in a statement on June 20.

Los Angeles became a flashpoint for the national debate over immigration policy in recent weeks after protesters took to the streets to challenge President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.

Details of the vice president’s schedule are vague, and the brief itinerary does not mention California Gov. Gavin Newsom or other state officials.

Newsom’s office expressed a desire to collaborate with Vance during his time in the Golden State.

“The Governor would welcome the opportunity to meet with the Vice President in service to Californians,” Brandon Richards, spokesperson for Newsom’s office, told The Epoch Times by email.

“We’re always open to working together, which makes it all the more disappointing that the White House chose not to engage with us directly ahead of the visit. We’ve yet to receive any official notice of the Vice President’s trip, which, from what we understand, is focused on a high-dollar fundraiser.”

Vance will greet troops deployed by Trump to curb violent protests that erupted on June 9 after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted a series of raids in Latino communities around Los Angeles, arresting hundreds of individuals for alleged immigration violations.

After some protesters targeted law enforcement officers, with videos showing cars on fire and masked agitators waving Mexican flags, Trump federalized the California National Guard on June 7 and deployed thousands of soldiers to restore order. Initially, 2,000 troops were sent, and the number was subsequently doubled.

Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta responded by filing a lawsuit on June 9, alleging that the federal government was in violation of the Posse Comitatus Act and seeking to block the president from taking control of the state’s National Guard forces.

On June 13, 700 Marines were sent in to protect federal assets.

While one court found in the state’s favor, a subsequent decision on June 19 from the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling, thus granting the president the authority to deploy the guard.

“BIG WIN ... on the President’s core power to call in the National Guard,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on June 19 after the decision was announced.

“All over the United States, if our cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done. This is a Great Decision for our Country, and we will continue to protect and defend Law abiding Americans. Congratulations to the Ninth Circuit, America is proud of you tonight!”

Legal challenges will continue, potentially all the way to the Supreme Court, according to a statement released by Newsom after the ruling, which “expressed disappointment” with the decision but highlighted aspects of the court’s written order that call for judicial scrutiny of presidential actions.

“The President is not a king and is not above the law,” Newsom said. “We will press forward with our challenge to President Trump’s authoritarian use of U.S. military soldiers against citizens.”