Former Labor Senator Slams Trump's Military Deployment as California Protests Continue

Former Australian Labor Senator Stephen Conroy condemned President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard and Marines to California during ongoing immigration protests, calling Trump "too much of a coward to confront Putin, but he doesn't mind deploying troops against his own people."

Speaking on Sky News Australia's First Edition Tuesday morning as live footage showed continued demonstrations in Southern California, Conroy characterized Trump's military response as a publicity stunt rather than necessary enforcement action.

"Trump wants to create controversy because it's like feeding red meat to his base," Conroy said during the television interview. "Sending him the National Guard, sending him Marines, is purely publicity-driven."

The protests in California have escalated since Trump deployed federal forces to assist with immigration enforcement operations. Live cameras showed demonstrators carrying Mexican and Honduran flags in what reporters described as "symbols of defiance" during the standoff, though conditions appeared calmer than previous days.

Conroy, who served as Communications Minister under former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, drew comparisons to previous administrations' immigration policies, noting that former President Barack Obama "deported 400,000, I think, in his first term" without requiring military deployment.

"The question of mandates... It's really about, you know, did Obama need to deploy the National Guard and Marines? No," Conroy said.

The military deployment comes as Trump pursues aggressive immigration enforcement, a central campaign promise that helped secure his 2024 election victory. The protests have drawn attention to the administration's methods of implementing immigration policy, with demonstrators gathering in multiple California locations.

Conroy acknowledged Trump's electoral mandate on immigration but criticized the execution. "Yeah, look, no question he's got a mandate to deal with immigration," he said. "This is about the methods that he goes about it."

The former senator also addressed prospects for Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese securing a meeting with Trump at the upcoming G7 summit, expressing hope that such discussions could occur despite strained relations over trade policy.

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