Senator John Fetterman broke ranks with many in his party on Monday, denouncing the violent unrest in Los Angeles. The Pennsylvania Democrat made it clear—supporting immigration and free speech doesn’t mean staying silent when chaos erupts.
"I unapologetically stand for free speech, peaceful demonstrations, and immigration—but this is not that. This is anarchy and true chaos. My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement," Fetterman posted on X.
Elon Musk replied to the post with a simple American flag emoji. That quiet endorsement sparked more attention than words ever could. Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy chimed in with praise. “It’s hard to preach hard truths to your own side. I respect this,” he wrote.
Others joined the chorus. Taylor Budowich, Deputy White House Chief of Staff, warned Democrats they’re being left behind. “This is a wake up call for many Democrats: there is no room for you in the party of @GavinNewsom and @KamalaHarris. Their self-obsessed pursuits of power are blind to you and your concerns. They defend chaos, reject biology, and are unbothered by the invasion of our nation,” Budowich posted.
Senator Bernie Sanders also called for discipline. In a post on X, he wrote, “Dr. King defeated racist government officials & ended segregation through disciplined non-violent resistance. Defeating Trumpism, oligarchy & authoritarianism requires that same level of discipline. Violent protests are counterproductive and play right into Trump’s playbook.”
Meanwhile, President Trump defended his decision to send in the National Guard. “We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California. If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated,” Trump said Monday on Truth Social.
Later that evening, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced further action. In a post on X, he confirmed that U.S. Marines were also being deployed to Los Angeles “to restore order.”