Newsom v. Trump goes to trial in a California court with Trump’s power to deploy National Guard troops nationwide despite the Posse Comitatus Act at issue.

The lawsuit was filed by California Governor Gavin Newsom against President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, alleging that the federal deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles violated the Posse Comitatus Act and the Tenth Amendment.

The Posse Comitatus Act, enacted in 1878, generally prohibits the use of federal military forces in domestic law enforcement activities, which is central to the legal dispute.

The Trump administration argues that the president has statutory authority to deploy National Guard troops under certain conditions and that their actions did not violate the law.

The trial is a bench trial scheduled to examine evidence regarding the legality of the deployment and whether Trump exceeded his authority.

Recent appellate court decisions have temporarily allowed Trump to maintain control over the National Guard troops deployed in Los Angeles, halting lower court rulings that favored Newsom.

This case highlights ongoing tensions between state and federal authority over National Guard deployment and interpretation of federal law concerning military involvement in civilian matters.