Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco didn’t hold back when weighing in on the chaos that has consumed Los Angeles in recent days. In a blistering interview, Bianco accused Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass of deliberately allowing the riots to spiral in order to exploit the crisis politically.
“They enjoyed the criminal behavior because it gave them an opportunity to pretend to be the heroes,” Bianco said. “But the truth is—they created the problem, they watched it unfold, and then tried to sweep in as saviors.”
For days, Los Angeles was rocked by anti-ICE riots, with federal agents attacked, property torched, and entire neighborhoods turned into protest zones. According to Bianco, both Newsom and Bass had the power to stop it—but refused to act.
“They could’ve stopped this four or five days ago. But they didn’t,” he said. “They let it get out of hand on purpose. They made it political. And now they want credit for calming things down? Give me a break.”
Bianco slammed the idea that either leader showed real courage or leadership in deploying the National Guard after the fact. “They sat on their hands while people got hurt. Then they show up for the cameras and pretend they fixed it. That’s not leadership—that’s theater.”
His remarks echo growing frustration among law enforcement officials across the state, who say their hands were tied while violent mobs blocked ICE operations and targeted federal buildings. “We could’ve stopped this. But they wouldn’t let us,” Bianco added.
The sheriff’s takedown reflects a broader sentiment: that California’s progressive leadership allowed the situation to worsen so they could play both arsonist and firefighter—provoking the crisis and then pretending to resolve it.
And as Bianco made clear, voters aren’t buying the act anymore.