California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday took a subtle dig at President Donald Trump by sharing a video of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2025.
Newsom Criticizes Trump Over Chicago Deployment
Newsom and Trump are at odds over the President’s plan to deploy federal officers and National Guard troops in Chicago to address crime and immigration.
But have no fear, Trump is sending the Guard to Chicago. pic.twitter.com/yTK5Uhxkde
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 1, 2025
Newsom posted on X: “But have no fear, Trump is sending the Guard to Chicago,” along with the video showing Modi and Putin walking hand in hand toward Xi before the summit in Tianjin, China.
The clip also shows the three leaders standing shoulder to shoulder, laughing, highlighting global diplomacy as a contrast to Trump’s domestic crackdown.
SCO Summit 2025: Key Highlights
During the summit, Xi Jinping outlined plans to expand the SCO, including:
- A development bank for member nations
- A green and energy cooperation platform
- Pledges of $1.4 billion in loans over the next three years
The video shared by Newsom emphasized international collaboration amid domestic political tensions.
Trump’s Crime and Immigration Crackdown
The Department of Homeland Security reports that 5,000 immigration arrests have been made in Los Angeles since June 6, despite a temporary court order limiting racial profiling—a move the administration has challenged in the Supreme Court.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told CBS News Face the Nation that ICE operations in Chicago and other cities would be strengthened, and Trump would soon decide on sending National Guard troops.
Political Backlash and Reactions
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker accused Trump of using troops to influence the 2026 midterm elections: “He would like to stop the elections in 2026 or, frankly, take control of those elections. He will just claim that there is some problem with an election, and then he has got troops on the ground that can take control.”
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson defended Trump: “Chicago’s residents would be much safer if Pritzker actually did his job and addressed his crime problem instead of trying to be a Resistance Lib hero.”
Trump has previously focused on Chicago and Washington, DC, deploying federal officers and National Guard troops to address crime, despite reports showing declines in many violent crime categories.
