Noem says Trump admin won't let 'a repeat of 2020 happen' as National Guard responds to LA immigration riots

Noem addressed the deployment of the National Guard during an appearance on CBS' "Face the Nation," saying that Trump has the safety of the community and law enforcement officers at the top of his mind.

"President Trump is putting the safety of the communities being impacted by these riots and by these protests that have turned violent, and he's putting the safety of our law enforcement officers first," Noem said.

The California governor said Saturday that the state has deployed the California Highway Patrol to keep Los Angeles highways safe, though he added, "It's not their job to assist in federal immigration enforcement."

But Noem vowed that Trump was "not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen," referencing riots that happened in Minneapolis at the time.

"Gov. Tim Walz made very bad decisions," she said, adding that Walz tried to request the help of the National Guard after "letting his city burn for days on end."

Noem described the 2,000 National Guard soldiers as being specifically trained for "this type of crowd situation," where they will provide safety around buildings, to those engaged in peaceful protests and law enforcement.

Noem said the National Guard will help with security in some areas, though she would not speak to the exact locations that the troops will be deployed to or to specific security operations.

"They're there at the direction of the president in order to keep peace and allow people to be able to protest but also to keep law and order," she said of the National Guard. "That is incredibly important to the president."