By Isabella Torregiani
3:01am PDT, Jun 12, 2025
_
On Tuesday, June 10, Republican Senator
John Kennedy called for Democrats to "pop a Zoloft" amid the ongoing protests in Los Angeles over recent ICE raids.
During an appearance on
America's Newsroom, the senator responded to clips showing party leaders criticizing President
Donald Trump's handling of the situation.
Keep reading to see his full reaction… MORE:
Follow Wonderwall on MSN for more top news
_
"I think all those people [Democrats] need to pop a Zoloft and relax a little bit," John Kennedy said, reacting to audio of Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal, other Washington Democrats and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten — who are all critical of the Trump administration.
"I don't think this situation is especially complicated. You don't need to be an astrophysicist to figure it out," he said before comparing the protesters to "wolves."
"We've got a wolf problem in Los Angeles. They're not peaceful protesters. They're wolves. They're hurting people. They're destroying property," he continued.
_
The protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles began on Friday, June 6. In response, President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard, a move publicly criticized by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
"Donald Trump is creating fear and terror by failing to adhere to the U.S. Constitution and overstepping his authority. This is a manufactured crisis to allow him to take over a state militia, damaging the very foundation of our republic," Newsom said in a press release.
Despite the backlash from other leaders, John Kennedy believes many Americans support the president's decision.
"I think most Americans are looking at this and going, 'Stop the wolves,' and a lot of them are thinking … 'Who's going to pay for all this? Who's gonna pay for this destruction? Are we gonna get the bill?' That's the way I see it."
_
Gavin Newsom isn't the only public figure criticizing President Donald Trump's response to the protests.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, in a statement on her office's webpage, called the National Guard deployment a "chaotic escalation."
"The fear people are feeling in our city right now is very real – it's felt in our communities and within our families, and it puts our neighborhoods at risk. This is the last thing that our city needs, and I urge protestors to remain peaceful," she wrote.
