Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) took to CNN’s airwaves Sunday to sharply criticize President Donald Trump over the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles. Labeling Trump a “cruel, dishonorable human being,” Waters claimed the president’s decision risked escalating violence and showed a reckless disregard for protesters’ safety.

“They will end up being used,” Waters warned during her interview on CNN’s “Newsroom.” “I don’t know why we have guns. What are those guns for? Are they to shoot protesters?” she continued, suggesting the National Guard’s presence could result in bloodshed. “There’s no reason to be here with the National Guard.”

The L.A. protests, sparked in part by a wave of controversial ICE arrests on Friday, have raised tensions throughout the city. CNN reporter Kyung Lah highlighted the volatile atmosphere, describing it as a “cauldron” primed for confrontation given the recent immigration enforcement actions and the visible military presence.

Waters pulled no punches, directly accusing the president of potentially wanting to see violence erupt. “The President of the United States is a cruel, dishonorable human being who would just as soon they shoot somebody down,” she said. “But I don’t want that to happen. I want the elected officials to do everything that we can to dissuade them.”

The deployment comes amid a wider federal crackdown on sanctuary cities and jurisdictions perceived to be obstructing immigration enforcement. Los Angeles, a longtime flashpoint in debates over federal versus local authority, has drawn extra scrutiny in recent months. Trump’s Department of Homeland Security has intensified operations in areas deemed non-compliant with federal immigration law, fueling political blowback from Democrat leaders like Waters.

Supporters of the Trump administration argue that the National Guard presence is a precautionary measure to maintain order and protect property, especially in the wake of past protests that turned violent. Opponents, like Waters, view it as an intimidation tactic meant to chill lawful dissent and provoke unrest.

Waters has been one of Trump’s most vocal critics in Congress since his first term, often accusing him of racism, authoritarianism, and “stoking hate.” Sunday’s comments reflect her longstanding belief that the Trump administration is indifferent to the rights and concerns of minority communities.

So far, there have been no major incidents between demonstrators and Guard troops in L.A., but law enforcement agencies remain on high alert. Organizers of the weekend’s rallies insist they intend to remain peaceful, though tensions continue to simmer over the arrests and the broader political climate.

The White House has not responded directly to Waters’ comments, but administration officials have defended the deployment as “routine support for local law enforcement” in times of potential unrest.

Whether this latest flare-up leads to real conflict or simply fuels another news cycle of partisan division, one thing is clear: the battle over immigration enforcement, federal power, and protest policing is far from over in California. And with figures like Waters leading the resistance, the rhetoric is only likely to intensify.