President Trump’s border tsar, Tom Homan, is pushing back forcefully against reports that he has called for Governor Newsom and the mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, to be arrested. He said his 20-minute interview with NBC News, which aired on Sunday, was edited in such a way that made it seem like prosecutors were readying indictments for California Democrats for their response to the unrest at Los Angeles. 

Mr. Homan has been the chief public defender of the administration’s mass deportation efforts, and has been doing press interviews since the unrest began over the weekend. He said Monday that cooler heads need to prevail. 

“Look, I’m not biting on that,” he told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday when asked about the interview he did with NBC News, which he says was deceptive. “The NBC reporter that interviewed me was very dishonest. We did a 20-minute interview and it cuts out a little clip and takes my word out of context,” Mr. Homan said. 

The NBC report claimed that Mr. Homan had not “ruled out” seeking charges against Mr. Newsom and Ms. Bass. When asked directly if he believed Ms. Bass had broken the law, Mr. Homan said only that he would ask the Department of Justice to prosecute “if she crossed” the line of impeding ICE operations. 

On Monday morning, Mr. Homan said that he was issuing a blanket warning to all protesters and elected officials who may be considering harboring migrants or impeding deportation efforts, both of which are felony offenses. He told “Morning Joe” that his warnings should not be taken as a threat against any specific person. 

“I talked about these protesters that are rioting,” Mr. Homan said. “We always say they have a right to protest. They have their First Amendment rights, but they can’t cross that line. They can’t cross that line of impediment.”

“When [the reporter] asked the question, ‘Does that include Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom?’ I was clear — they haven’t crossed the line, but they’re not above the law either,” Mr. Homan added. “If they commit a crime, [we] certainly would ask for prosecution.”

Mr. Trump himself said Monday that he thought it would be “great” if charges were filed against the California governor. Returning from Camp David Monday afternoon, the president said that while he likes Mr. Newsom as a person, he would still welcome charges. 

“I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great,” Mr. Trump said of prosecuting the governor. “Gavin likes the publicity but I think it would be a great thing. He’s done a terrible job.”

Mr. Newsom was included in the NBC report about Mr. Homan’s deportation operation in California. The governor was specifically asked about Mr. Homan’s “threats” to arrest California officials, even though the border tsar himself says no threat was ever made. 

“Come after me. Arrest me. Let’s just get it over with,” Mr. Newsom said in response to the NBC News reporter. “That kind of bullying is exhausting. So Tom, arrest me.”