It was earlier this year that California Gov. Gavin Newsom was making nice with President Donald Trump as he sought help for his wildfire-battered state and moderating his approach ahead of a potential bid for the White House.

The Justice Department claims California's request to limit the federal response to violent riots in Los Angeles would "countermand" the president's lawful military directives.

A judge will hear arguments Thursday over California’s request to limit the scope of the National Guard and Marines’ mission in Los Angeles as demonstrations continue over immigration enforcement operations.

The legal showdown between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump takes center stage Thursday afternoon in a federal courtroom in San Francisco.

The National Guard has at times detained protesters in its deployment to Los Angeles, an official said Wednesday, as demonstrations against Immigration and Customs enforcement raids spread to other major cities.

Newsom put out a press release in 2022 where he announced the deployment of the National Guard to support local communities to set up testing facilities for COVID-19.

The Justice Department called California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D) attempt for a judge to limit President Trump’s National Guard deployment in Los Angeles a “crass political stunt endangering

California’s Governor, already considered a 2028 Democratic presidential contender, has embraced the role of Trump adversary.

"Neither the National Guard nor the Marines are engaged in law enforcement," the DOJ's motion reads. "Rather, they are protecting law enforcement."

President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard members to help respond to protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids.

4:47 p.m. EDT The Trump administration asked the judge to reject Newsom’s request and allow it to respond by Wednesday, calling Newsom’s attempt to block the deployment of federal troops “legally meritless” and saying it would jeopardize the safety of Homeland Security personnel and interfere with the government’s ability to carry out operations.