Ah, the irony. After years of dismissing states’ rights as a quaint relic of the past, it seems the Democrats have suddenly rediscovered the concept – especially when it means standing in defiance of President-Elect Donald Trump.
Leading the charge, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom is all but planting the state flag in the sand, warning Trump that California isn’t about to fall in line. It’s almost like a plot twist nobody saw coming: the very party that spent years pushing for federal mandates now stands up for the rights of individual states.
Newsom waited until Kamala Harris delivered her concession speech, graciously acknowledging her short-lived presidential campaign while also issuing a veiled challenge to Trump. “California will seek to work with the incoming president,” Newsom said, but he made it crystal clear that he’s prepared to “stand with states across our nation to defend our Constitution and uphold the rule of law.” This sounds a lot like “we’ll cooperate—as long as you don’t mess with us.” In other words, the former president may have won big last night, but Newsom’s ready to dig in his heels on issues like reproductive rights, immigration, and LGBTQ+ protections.
And let’s not forget Newsom’s eyeing the 2028 presidential race. With Harris out, he’s practically salivating at the chance to take on Trump or whatever “MAGA” candidate comes next. Newsom is clearly positioning himself as the Democratic hero who stood up to Trump – and maybe, in his dreams, the next great hope for the left.
Newsom isn’t the only California leader gearing up for a showdown. LA Mayor Karen Bass quickly added her voice to the choir, pledging that Los Angeles will “protect each other,” regardless of Trump’s policies. She painted a picture of the city as a beacon of diversity, with people from all over the world pursuing “opportunity and equity.” And yes, that’s noble and all, but it seems lost on the left that they’re singing about American ideals while disregarding the voice of millions of voters who just handed Trump a major victory.
Speaking of the vote, while Newsom was able to push through some of his favorite ballot measures in California (think billions for environmental initiatives), he also saw a few losses. Notably, Proposition 36, a “pro-incarceration” measure, passed with nearly 70% approval despite his opposition.
For a governor who wants to be seen as a progressive icon, having voters call for tougher crime measures is a bit of a setback. Even George Gascón, the progressive district attorney he once appointed in San Francisco, lost his bid for re-election as LA DA. Seems like maybe, just maybe, California voters are getting tired of soft-on-crime policies.
Gavin Newsom has done such a poor job in California these past few years, just look at how the voting changed from 2020 to 2024. pic.twitter.com/phjVpfyuQw
— Real Defender🇺🇸 (@real_defender) November 7, 2024
And let’s not gloss over the fact that Newsom, as Mayor of San Francisco, was married to Kimberly Guilfoyle—now the fiancée of none other than Donald Trump Jr. Family dinners might be a little awkward if Newsom keeps poking at Trump, wouldn’t you say?
So here we are. The Democratic leaders who once chided Republicans for resisting federal mandates are now calling for their state’s autonomy. As Newsom says, “It’s the United STATES of America.”
Gavin Newsom is attempting to kickstart his 2028 presidential campaign by attacking Trump.
Gavin Newsom should be focused on putting out the dumpster fire he created in California pic.twitter.com/CFMT7gudo8
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) November 7, 2024
