Timeline: Was the California National Guard at LA protests when Trump thanked them?

On June 8, President Donald Trump praised the California National Guard for its response to Los Angeles immigration enforcement protests. 

"Great job by the National Guard in Los Angeles after two days of violence, clashes and unrest," he wrote on Truth Social at about 2:41 a.m. EDT. He ended the post, "Thank you to the National Guard for a job well done!" 

But the National Guard had not yet arrived in LA, according to news reports and a California governor’s office spokesperson. 

The protests in downtown Los Angeles began on June 6 in response to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. 

The Los Angeles Police Department declared the protests an "unlawful assembly" on the evening of June 6 and began using tear gas, rubber bullets and other deterrents. Protests continued throughout the weekend, with reports of vandalism, burning cars and looting. Trump announced June 7 he was deploying 2,000 California National Guard members, an action that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom, both Democrats, criticized as an unnecessary escalation.  

Less than an hour after Trump’s Truth Social post, Bass said the National Guard was not on scene. "Just to be clear, the National Guard has not been deployed in the City of Los Angeles," she wrote on X. 

Later that morning, Newsom criticized Trump’s post praising the National Guard by pointing out the timeline discrepancy.

"For those keeping track, Donald Trump’s National Guard had not been deployed on the ground when he posted this," Newsom wrote on X. 

Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a Newsom spokesperson, told PolitiFact the National Guard deployed June 8 between 2 and 4 a.m. PDT, which is 5 to 7 a.m. EDT.   

The first media reports of California National Guard troops on the ground in Los Angeles were June 8 at about 6 a.m. PDT, or about 9 a.m. EDT. Here’s what we know about the timeline of California National Guard troop activation and arrival.

June 8 timeline

(All times in Eastern Daylight Time)

12:51 a.m. United States Northern Command, a Defense Department sector that assists with National Guard oversight, said on X that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth "directed U.S. Northern Command to assume command of 2,000 California National Guard forces to protect federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area." The post said active-duty U.S. Marines might also be called to respond. 

U.S. Northern Command releases the below statement: pic.twitter.com/fWV1UgYbnl

— U.S. Northern Command (@USNorthernCmd) June 8, 2025

2:41 a.m. Trump praised the National Guard for a "great job," criticized Newsom and Bass, and described the protests as violent unrest. 

3:22 a.m. Bass posted on X that the National Guard was not yet present.

4:32 a.m. CNN reported it had "seen no evidence that Guard units are on the ground." 

Between 5 and 7 a.m.: The National Guard deployed during this timeframe, according to Crofts-Pelayo.

Around 9 a.m.: The Washington Post reported that the earliest photos and videos of National Guard members arriving in Los Angeles were captured around this time, which was 6 a.m. PDT. 

11:03 a.m. U.S. Northern Command reported that members of the California National Guard had arrived in Los Angeles: "Can confirm that elements of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the California National Guard have begun deploying to the Los Angeles area, with some already on the ground." 

12:07 p.m. U.S. Northern Command announced that 300 members of the California National Guard were deployed to three locations in the Los Angeles area. 

12:08 p.m. The California National Guard members gathered near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown L.A., the Los Angeles Times reported.

12:17 p.m. The LAPD announced that the National Guard had been deployed to federal facilities.

About 1:30 p.m. The New York Times reported that at this time — which was 10:30 a.m. PDT — "nearly 300 members of the California Guard took positions at three different sites around the city."

KABC-TV, a local news channel, reported that National Guard members had appeared in downtown Los Angeles and posted video of troops driving through the city of Paramount.

2:29 p.m. U.S. Northern Command posted photos of California National Guard members in LA working with the Department of Homeland Security. 

5:06 p.m. Trump said he directed federal agencies to coordinate their response to LA protests. 

6:27 p.m. Newsom posted that he "formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to [his] command." 

8:03 p.m. U.S. Northern Command shared a press release on X announcing that approximately 2,000 members of the California National Guard had been "placed under federal command" to be ready to assist in efforts against LA protests. It reiterated that 300 ​​members of the California Army National Guard were deployed at three locations. 

10:23 p.m. Newsom stated in a MSNBC interview that he would file a lawsuit against Trump for taking over the California National Guard. 

PolitiFact Researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.

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