California Governor Gavin Newsom has condemned the U.S. Department of Defense for circulating misleading footage to support the Trump administration’s recent military deployment in Los Angeles. The controversy centers on a video posted by the Pentagon’s Rapid Response account on X (formerly Twitter), which appeared to show burning LAPD police cruisers amid ongoing protests in the city.
According to the fact-checking website Snopes, the footage was not from this week’s protests but from demonstrations in Los Angeles in May 2020, following the killing of George Floyd. Vehicle identification numbers visible in the video matched those captured in earlier news reports during the 2020 unrest.
Newsom’s office posted on X, calling the use of outdated images a coordinated effort to mislead the public and justify military intervention:
“An official Department of Defense account is spreading fake images—from old protests—to justify Trump’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles. This isn’t just disinformation. It’s a propaganda campaign from the Pentagon.”
Federal Troops Deployed Without Governor’s Approval
The Department of Defense video followed a series of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across Los Angeles on June 6. The operations led to widespread protests, prompting President Trump to authorize the deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city—without Governor Newsom’s consent.
Trump defended the action as necessary to prevent “Los Angeles from burning to the ground,” citing threats to law enforcement and public safety. However, California officials argue that the response was excessive, especially in light of the misinformation being circulated about the protests’ scale and nature.
Footage Confirmed to Be from 2020
The disputed video, shared by the Department of Defense’s Rapid Response account—established in February with a stated goal of “fighting against fake news”—featured scenes of LAPD vehicles engulfed in flames.
Snopes confirmed the footage matched a video captured by NBC News on May 31, 2020. Both the old and new clips showed LAPD vehicles numbered 504 and 658, with car 504’s hood open and car 658 completely ablaze—evidence that the recent video was not current.
Other Misleading Clips Circulating
The controversial Pentagon post is not the only piece of misleading content being shared online to amplify public fear. Snopes identified additional examples of old or unrelated footage being passed off as current events.
One viral video that amassed over two million views showed a Jeep being set on fire by several individuals in a Los Angeles street. The video was captioned to suggest it had occurred “overnight” during current protests and blamed the violence on undocumented immigrants. However, Snopes traced the clip to March 9, 2024, during a separate car meetup in South Los Angeles. The footage originally surfaced on TikTok and was later reported on by local outlets, including KABC and the Daily Mail.
Another video claimed to show a store owner being attacked by rioters during the current protests. Snopes found that the incident actually took place in October 2024 at a 7-Eleven in Anaheim, not Los Angeles. The video was unrelated to recent demonstrations over immigration policies.
Real Violence and Unrest in Los Angeles
While some shared content has been misleading, violence and unrest have occurred in parts of Los Angeles. Following the military deployment, several protests escalated into clashes with law enforcement.
According to the Associated Press, demonstrators set fire to self-driving vehicles and hurled concrete, electric scooters, and fireworks at police officers along a closed section of U.S. Highway 101. Local news station KTLA reported widespread vandalism and looting of businesses in multiple neighborhoods.
Still, many protests have remained peaceful. Civil rights groups and local leaders argue that the federal government’s heavy-handed response—including unauthorized military deployment and dissemination of misleading content—has only inflamed tensions further.
Governor Warns of Disinformation
Governor Newsom’s office issued a cautionary message to social media users, urging them to remain critical of content shared online. In a separate post, the governor’s press team pointed to Snopes’ findings and warned that certain accounts were “recycling old videos” to justify federal military action.
Fact-checkers have emphasized the importance of verifying sources, especially when official government channels are involved in spreading potentially deceptive content.
National Protests Planned Amid Military Parade
The fallout in Los Angeles is unfolding just ahead of a major national moment. On Saturday, a military parade is scheduled in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army—an event that also coincides with President Trump’s 79th birthday.
In response, protest organizers affiliated with the “No Kings” movement have planned over 1,800 demonstrations nationwide to take place the same day. These events are expected to draw significant crowds opposing what activists see as authoritarianism and misuse of federal power.
President Trump has stated that demonstrators in D.C. “will be met with very heavy force.” That remark has heightened concerns among civil liberties advocates and local officials, who are preparing for large-scale demonstrations and possible confrontations across multiple cities.
