(Updates dateline)
(Reuters) -Republicans and Democrats traded barbs on Sunday after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles amid massive protests against increasing and divisive immigration raids.
"Important to remember that Trump isn't trying to heal or keep the peace. He is looking to inflame and divide," Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said in one of the most direct rebukes.
"His movement doesn't believe in democracy or protest - and if they get a chance to end the rule of law they will take it."
Democratic Senator Cory Booker condemned Trump for deploying troops without California's approval, warning it would only escalate tensions. On NBC's "Meet the Press" he accused Trump of hypocrisy, and noted the president's inaction on January 6, 2021 when thousands of his supporters raided the U.S. Capitol and his subsequent pardons for those arrested.
Footage showed at least a half dozen military-style vehicles and riot shields on Sunday at the federal building in Los Angeles with federal law enforcement firing gas canisters to disperse demonstrators protesting against the ICE crackdown.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Trump sparred over the protests, with Newsom condemning the federal response as an overreach, saying Trump wants "a spectacle," while the president accused Newsom of failing to maintain order.
Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson on Sunday defended Trump's decision and said he had no concern about the National Guard deployment, adding, "One of our core principles is maintaining peace through strength. We do that in foreign affairs and domestic affairs as well. I don't think that's heavy handed."
Republican Senator James Lankford said Trump is trying to de-escalate tensions, pointing to scenes of protesters throwing objects at law enforcement.
He recalled similar unrest in 2020 in Seattle and Portland, where National Guard backed local law enforcement amid racial justice protests.
The protests against the raids have become the latest focal point in a national debate over immigration, protest rights, and the use of federal force in domestic affairs. It also has fueled discussion on the boundaries of presidential power and the public's right to dissent.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Washington, editing by Michelle Nichols and Aurora Ellis)
