California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D, warns that President Donald Trump might try to seek a third term. He said Trump’s administration is preparing with what Newsom called “the world’s largest private police force.”
Speaking at Politico’s first California Policy Summit on Wednesday night, Newsom accused Trump of pursuing “authoritarian actions” that threaten U.S. democracy. He urged Democrats to “fight fire with fire.”
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“People actually think this guy’s serious about having another election? Wake up. You will lose this country,” Newsom said. “This is not about Democrats. This is about all of us.”
Newsom’s rationale
Newsom referenced a private conversation with the president in which Trump showed him a picture of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the only commander-in-chief to serve more than two terms, while smiling. He added that Trump aides sent him “Trump 2028” hats as part of the reason for his prediction.
“I don’t think Donald Trump wants another election,” he said. “I have two dozen Trump 2028 hats, his folks keep sending me. Who spends $200 million on a ballroom at their home and then leaves the house?”
Election Rigging Response Act
Newsom used his warnings to justify signing the Election Rigging Response Act, a partisan redistricting plan designed to counter GOP redistricting in Texas.
“These guys are not screwing around,” Newsom said. “We’re not going to play with one hand tied behind our back…. They don’t play by the same rules. I am sick and tired of Democrats in this country being on the losing end and our democracy being on the losing end.”
Trump threatened to sue California over the redistricting plan.
‘Authoritarian actions’ by Trump
Newsom criticized Trump’s use of the military and federal law enforcement in cities like Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, claiming that Trump has shown “not just authoritarian tendencies, but authoritarian actions.” He predicted that ICE and other federal authorities would be present at polling locations when elections roll around. He also warned that Trump may use an emergency declaration to interfere in the democratic process.
The bigger political fight
The two men have repeatedly clashed. Trump has blamed Newsom for much of the devastation that occurred during the deadly Los Angeles fires in January. Meanwhile, Newsom accused Trump of illegally deploying the National Guard as domestic police.
A federal trial is underway to decide whether the White House overstepped its authority.
Shortly before his appearance at the Politico summit, Newsom appeared to suggest that Trump has dementia. The accusation came after the president accused Newsom of failing “to turn the rest of the water on.” Trump previously accused Newsom of not using crucial water supplies in January, which the president said would’ve helped put out Los Angeles wildfires.
Water policy researchers have debunked Trump’s claims. They explained that the 2.2 billion gallons of water Trump ordered to be released came from reservoirs of the Kaweah and Tule rivers. Those rivers are more than 100 miles from the fires, so researchers said it would not help fight the fires in Los Angeles.
Newsom targets Trump’s cognitive abilities
Newsom responded to Trump’s criticism on X with a screenshot of an interaction with Elon Musk’s chatbot Grok, which appeared to question the president’s cognitive abilities.
“Yes, people with dementia can repeat false statements or beliefs, a behavior often linked to memory impairments and cognitive changes,” Grok replied. “This can manifest as confabulation, where they create or repeat false memories to fill gaps in recollection, or preservation, where they fixate on a particular idea or statement.”
The White House responded to Newsom’s suggestion in a statement to the Daily Beast.
“Newscum will say anything to distract from his terrible handling of the California wildfires that President Trump had to come in and clean up,” a spokesperson said.
Newsom has not said whether or not he will run for president in 2028, but speculation continues that he is positioning himself as Trump’s most vocal Democratic foil.
