Trump: “The Only Flag That Will Wave Triumphant Over the Streets of Los Angeles Is the American Flag — So Help Me God”; “Met with Equal or Greater Force than We Met Right Here”; LA Mayor Bass: “Real Solution Is to Stop the Raids”; Trump on Biden Auto-Pen Criminals: “These Are Criminals That Were Allowed Into Our Country”

In June 2025 as LA riots continued, President Trump delivered one of his most memorable lines. Trump: “The only flag that will wave triumphant over the streets of Los Angeles is the American flag — SO HELP ME GOD. The American flag is the one that’s going to wave triumphantly over the streets.” LA Mayor Karen Bass offered a different solution: “The real solution of all of this is for the administration to stop the raids. We have heard that these raids might take place for the next 30 days. We don’t know how many are going to take place in a given day. And you just think about the disruption to families and the disruption to our local economy.” Trump was asked about similar operations elsewhere: “Yeah. We’re moving murderers out of our country that were put here by Biden or the auto-pen. The auto-pen really did… Lisa Monaco or whoever operated the auto-pen, these are criminals. People are criminals that allowed these criminals into our country.” On the LA response strategy: “I can inform the rest of the country that when they do it, if they do it, they’re going to be met with equal or greater force than we met right here.” On the riots: “It looks like a planned disaster… They had weapons. They had tools. They had everything you needed."

"Only Flag Will Wave Triumphant”

Trump delivered one of his most powerful lines.

“And the only flag that will wave triumphant over the streets of Los Angeles is the American flag,” Trump declared.

He extended with religious intensity: “So help me God. The American flag is the one that’s going to wave triumphantly over the streets.”

The Symbolic Context

Trump’s statement responded to imagery.

What was happening in LA:

• Riots featured Mexican flag prominently
• Anti-American displays common
• Foreign flags at protests
• Symbol of protest against US
• Cultural statement

The specific flag displays:

• Mexican flags on vehicles
• Mexican flags at demonstrations
• Protesters waving foreign flags
• Burning of American flags reported
• Cultural alienation displays

Why this was politically significant:

• LA is American city
• Residents are American
• American flag belongs there
• Foreign flag displays problematic
• Basic national sovereignty

Trump’s response:

• Direct American patriotic statement
• Sovereignty affirmation
• National pride
• Response to cultural alienation
• Unambiguous American assertion

”So Help Me God”

Trump’s invocation of religious language was notable.

The phrase “so help me God”:

• Typically used in oaths
• Religious solemnity
• Personal commitment
• Treated as serious
• Spiritual weight

Why Trump used it here:

• Elevated statement significance
• Personal commitment signal
• Religious authority backing
• Traditional American language
• Cultural resonance

The political effect:

• Made statement more memorable
• Signaled seriousness
• Religious voters responsive
• Cultural framework affirmed
• Not merely political

LA Mayor Bass’s Position

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass offered a dramatically different solution.

“But the real solution of all of this is for the administration to stop the raids,” Bass said.

She described the situation: “We have heard that these raids might take place for the next 30 days. We don’t know how many are going to take place in a given day.”

She appealed to economic concerns: “And you just think about the disruption to families and the disruption to our local economy.”

The Bass Framework

Bass’s response was politically revealing.

What Bass actually said:

• Stop enforcing immigration law
• Stop deporting illegal immigrants
• End raids completely
• Prioritize economic/family disruption over law
• Protect illegal residents

Why this was problematic:

• Blaming law enforcement for riots
• Reversing cause and effect
• Encouraging continued lawbreaking
• Ignoring public safety
• Privileging illegal over legal residents

The “30 days” concern:

• Trump administration had committed to sustained operations
• Bass framing as temporary disruption
• Preferred shorter operations
• Wanted clear endpoint
• Resisting comprehensive enforcement

The “disruption to families” framing:

• Illegal immigrant families
• Not American citizen families
• Economic disruption to employers of illegal labor
• Not to American workers
• Specific constituency being protected

The Fundamental Disagreement

Bass’s position captured Democratic dilemma.

What Bass wanted:

• Stop immigration enforcement
• Protect illegal residents
• Accept current conditions
• No removal operations
• Status quo maintenance

What Trump wanted:

• Enforce immigration law
• Remove criminal illegal immigrants
• Deportation priority
• Systematic operations
• Public safety restoration

The incompatibility:

• Opposite approaches
• Cannot be reconciled
• Political rather than practical solutions
• Federal vs. local authority
• Rule of law vs. non-enforcement

The political cost for Bass:

• Siding with illegal immigrants
• Against American citizens
• Against federal law
• Against law enforcement
• Against public safety

Trump on Nationwide ICE Operations

A reporter asked about similar operations elsewhere.

“Mr. President, these protests obviously started in reaction to these large-scale ICE operations in Los Angeles. Should people expect to see similar operations in the rest of the country?”

Trump’s answer: “Yeah.”

He laid out the rationale: “We’re moving murderers out of our country that were put here by Biden or the auto-pen. The auto-pen really did.”

He identified specific culprits: “The people, whether it’s Lisa Monaco or whoever operated the auto-pen, these are criminals. People are criminals that allowed these criminals into our country.”

The “Auto-Pen Criminals”

Trump’s framing was substantive.

What “auto-pen criminals” meant:

• Biden administration officials who approved mass migration
• Used auto-pen signatures for policy
• Enabled criminal entry
• Created current crisis
• Responsible for consequences

Lisa Monaco specifically:

• Deputy Attorney General under Biden
• Senior policy role
• Immigration enforcement decisions
• Specific policy culpability
• Representative of Biden-era officials

The “criminals” framing:

• Not the illegal immigrants themselves primarily
• But the officials who enabled them
• Accountability for decisions
• Political rather than literal criminal charge
• Moral responsibility claimed

Why this mattered:

• Shifts blame to Biden officials
• Demands accountability for decisions
• Not just current enforcement
• Historical responsibility
• Political implications

”I Don’t Think Biden Knew”

Trump added specific context.

“I don’t think that Biden knew what the hell he was doing. I don’t think he even knew about it.”

He extended: “When they opened up our borders for the whole world to come in, yeah, we’re going to get them out. We’re getting them out.”

The Biden Incapacity Framework

Trump’s “Biden didn’t know” position was consistent.

What this implied:

• Biden administration was run by staff
• Biden unable to make decisions
• Major policies made without his knowledge
• Constitutional concern about who was president
• Accountability for staff who acted

Why this mattered politically:

• Not just Biden’s fault
• Staff bore responsibility
• Systemic failure
• Constitutional framework
• Broader accountability needed

The specific investigative implications:

• Who actually signed documents?
• Who made key decisions?
• Was Biden competent?
• Was process legitimate?
• Legal challenges possible

The Courts Coming Around

Trump addressed judicial developments.

“We’re starting to get acknowledgement from the courts that, you know, is a system. They come in without courts and they go out. They want trials and everything else. I think that’s starting to work out now.”

He extended: “Judges are starting to see what a terrible situation is. Many of those people that you saw on television last night are criminals that were allowed into our country by Biden.”

The Judicial Trajectory

Trump identified developments.

What was happening in courts:

• Various immigration cases moving
• Some rulings against administration
• Some rulings favorable
• Supreme Court engagement
• Legal framework clarifying

Trump’s optimism:

• Courts recognizing reality
• Judges understanding situation
• Rulings becoming more sensible
• Conservative judges appointed
• Policy succeeding in courts

The political context:

• Administration had legal team
• Multiple favorable rulings
• Supreme Court cases pending
• Long-term judicial advantage
• Federal judiciary transformed

The strategic significance:

• Legal framework increasingly supportive
• Policy can continue
• Judicial restraint on administration decreasing
• Immigration enforcement legally secured
• Long-term implications positive

”Equal or Greater Force”

Trump delivered the specific deterrent message.

“And this is the first, perhaps, of many. You know, if we didn’t attack this one very strongly, you’d have them all over the country.”

He made the clear warning: “But I can inform the rest of the country that when they do it, if they do it, they’re going to be met with equal or greater force than we met right here.”

He concluded: “We did a great job. The people, you, Christie, and Tom Homan, and all of the people Pete Hegseth, all of the people involved did an amazing job. We stopped a disaster.”

The Deterrence Strategy

Trump’s “equal or greater force” was strategic.

What this communicated:

• Federal response will be aggressive
• Other cities should expect similar
• No impunity for violent riots
• Trump administration prepared
• Consequences certain

Why this worked:

• Clear warning to activists
• Discouraging replication
• Signaling seriousness
• Political commitment
• Strategic communication

The specific components:

• Federal law enforcement
• Military support if needed
• Aggressive prosecution
• Strong deterrent measures
• Comprehensive response

The psychology of deterrence:

• Potential rioters know consequences
• Calculation changes
• Fewer tempted to join
• Organized movements discouraged
• Strategic advantage for administration

”It Looks Like a Planned Disaster”

Trump characterized the LA events.

“It looks like a planned disaster. Not just, this didn’t just happen.”

He described the evidence: “They had weapons. They had tools. They had everything you needed.”

He specified attacks: “I mean, they were throwing iced water in bottles, in glass bottles, at officers and at soldiers.”

The “Planned” Framework

Trump’s analysis was substantive.

What “planned” meant:

• Organized rather than spontaneous
• Predetermined violence
• Coordinated logistics
• Strategic political timing
• Not mere protest gone wrong

The evidence suggested planning:

• Weapons prepared in advance
• Glass bottles brought specifically
• Tools for property destruction
• Coordinated timing
• Communication structures

Why this mattered legally:

• Different legal standard
• Conspiracy charges possible
• More serious penalties
• Federal enforcement easier
• Political implications clear

The “ice water in bottles” detail:

• Frozen projectiles
• Weaponized weather
• Specific attack vector
• Not spontaneous
• Dangerous to targets

”Very Dangerous People”

Trump continued with characterization.

“These are, you could not use the word insurrection, but you could also use the word.”

He made the specific assessment: “These are very dangerous people. They’re bad people.”

He described the result: “They were met with heavy force and they folded.”

He noted continued monitoring: “And they may be there a little bit tonight. They may be there a little bit, but it seems to be getting less and less because they’re going there and they’re met with a very heavy force.”

He contrasted with alternative: “And if they weren’t, you would have that say right now would be on fire.”

The “Insurrection” Reference

Trump’s “you could not use the word insurrection, but you could also use” framing was tactically sharp.

What he was acknowledging:

• The word “insurrection” politically charged
• Used specifically for January 6
• Democratic weapon against Trump
• Politically complicated term
• Legal implications

What he was implying:

• LA events similarly serious
• Could arguably be called insurrection
• Democratic double standard
• Political asymmetry
• Media inconsistency

Why this was politically deft:

• Didn’t directly use the word
• Avoided legal implications
• But pointed out parallel
• Democratic trap avoided
• Point made anyway

The pattern:

• Democrats used “insurrection” freely for January 6
• Media echoed
• But ignored larger-scale violence elsewhere
• Asymmetric coverage
• Political rather than factual standards

The California Fire Comparison

Trump returned to the fire context.

“It would be burning down the rest of it, what’s left over, because the other fire was started because they wouldn’t allow water into LA.”

He extended: “They wouldn’t allow water into California because they had it all shifted out to the Pacific Ocean.”

He noted his prior efforts: “And I turned it around. I told them to do it in my first term. They didn’t do it. We had COVID and they didn’t do it. And I told them to do it. We did it in the second.”

The Water Infrastructure Issue

Trump’s water story was consistent.

The specific issue:

• California water infrastructure
• Water redirected to environmental purposes
• Delta fish protection
• Agricultural water reduced
• Urban water restricted

The LA fire connection:

• Inadequate water for firefighting
• Low reservoir levels
• Infrastructure strained
• Policy choices had consequences
• Death and destruction resulted

Trump’s intervention:

• Redirected federal water authority
• Billions of gallons released
• Supported LA firefighting
• Criticized Newsom
• Direct federal action

Why this mattered:

• Democratic policy failures
• Environmental priorities over human safety
• Specific consequences documented
• Trump federal response effective
• Contrast with state management

”Newsom Should Have Done This”

Trump delivered his Newsom assessment.

“Now we have billions of gallons of water flowing down, but Newsom should have done this. He’s an incompetent man and incompetent government.”

The Newsom Accountability Framework

Trump’s criticism was specific.

What Newsom had failed to do:

• Manage water infrastructure properly
• Prevent inadequate firefighting response
• Maintain reservoirs
• Balance environmental and safety priorities
• Execute basic governance

What Trump did:

• Federal intervention
• Water redirection
• Crisis response
• Leadership role
• Effective action

The political framing:

• Democratic governor failure
• Republican federal response
• Competing narratives
• Voters can compare
• Election implications

The long-term political impact:

• Newsom reputation damaged
• California governance questioned
• Republican federal alternative highlighted
• Voter calibration possible
• Long-term implications

The California Context

The broader California political environment mattered.

California’s challenges:

• Wildfires regularly
• Water scarcity
• Population decline
• Tax base erosion
• Infrastructure deterioration

Democratic governance record:

• Sustained one-party control
• Progressive priorities dominant
• Environmental policy extreme
• Immigration policy permissive
• Urban policy failures

The voting trends:

• Some shift toward Republicans
• Still heavily Democratic
• But margins decreasing
• Specific issues moving voters
• Long-term trends watchable

The national implications:

• California as model of Democratic rule
• Federal vs. state tensions
• Fiscal transfers
• Policy contrasts
• Political instructiveness

The “You’d Have Them All Over the Country”

Trump’s warning was strategic.

“You know, if we didn’t attack this one very strongly, you’d have them all over the country.”

This captured:

• Deterrence logic
• Preventive action
• Strong response prevents replication
• Weak response invites more
• Strategic value

The Domino Prevention Theory

Trump’s logic was historically informed.

Historical parallels:

• 1968 Chicago riots spread
• 2020 riots nationwide
• Copycat effect in social movements
• Successful rebellion encourages more
• Failed rebellion discourages

The 2020 precedent:

• Minneapolis started
• Spread to dozens of cities
• Federal response insufficient initially
• Continued for months
• National implications

The 2025 approach:

• Stop LA riots decisively
• Signal strength to others
• Prevent copycat riots
• Preserve federal authority
• Maintain order

The strategic calculation:

• Early decisive action
• Prevent contagion
• Restore normalcy quickly
• Political cost worthwhile
• Long-term benefit

Trump’s Team Recognition

Trump recognized his team.

“The people, you, Christie, and Tom Homan, and all of the people Pete Hegseth, all of the people involved did an amazing job.”

The Specific Team

The team included major administration officials.

Kristi Noem (DHS Secretary):

• Department of Homeland Security leader
• ICE parent agency
• National Guard coordination
• Border security role
• Immigration enforcement

Tom Homan (Border Czar):

• Direct ICE operations leadership
• Immigration enforcement expertise
• Long-standing relationship with Trump
• Practical experience
• Media presence

Pete Hegseth (Defense Secretary):

• Military coordination
• National Guard deployment
• Defense Department resources
• Military readiness
• Comprehensive security

The coordinated response:

• DHS enforcement operations
• DOJ prosecution
• DOD military support
• FBI investigation
• Coordinated approach

The Professional Framework

The team represented professional execution.

What “professional” meant here:

• Experienced officials
• Practical knowledge
• Political capability
• Institutional experience
• Strategic thinking

Why this mattered:

• Contrast with amateur approaches
• Efficient execution
• Strategic coordination
• Political effectiveness
• Long-term capability

The administration advantage:

• Strong cabinet
• Competent execution
• Clear chain of command
• Strategic direction
• Capable implementation

Key Takeaways

• Trump: “The only flag that will wave triumphant over the streets of Los Angeles is the American flag — so help me God.”
• LA Mayor Bass: “Real solution is for administration to stop the raids” — blaming enforcement for riots.
• Trump on nationwide enforcement: “We’re moving murderers out of our country that were put here by Biden or the auto-pen.”
• Trump deterrent warning: “Met with equal or greater force than we met right here.”
• Trump on LA: “Looks like planned disaster. They had weapons. They had tools. They had everything you needed.”