Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), a rumored 2028 presidential contender, implored fellow Democrats to be “ruthless” against President Donald Trump’s administration.
Newsom’s comments came on Tuesday at the Center for American Progress’s Ideas Conference in Washington, D.C., where he reflected on his successful gamble to counter the GOP’s redistricting efforts in Texas with the passage of Proposition 50 in California.
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“We could have decided to write an op-ed, we could have decided, you know, to hold hands, have a candlelight vigil, win the argument,” Newsom said as he talked about Prop 50, which netted five Democratic-leaning seats in the Golden State.
“These guys are ruthless on the other side, Trump’s not screwing around, and nor can we,” said Newsom. “Yeah, it’s uncomfortable fighting fire with fire. Yes, we all want the better angels. Yes, we want the Sorkin sound and music, little West Wing. I do, but we’ll lose our country. We will lose our country.”
Since Trump won the 2024 election, Democrats have struggled to counter the national image among Americans that they are too weak and too woke. Gambits such as Newsom’s push to put California into mid-decade redistricting have shown that some party members are willing to challenge Trump aggressively. Newsom, a frequent foe of the president, has also used social media to mock Trump’s persona.
During his remarks, Newsom slammed the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision, which weakened Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act and subsequently led Republicans in southern states to create new congressional maps.
He also pointed to a nearly $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund to compensate Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot defendants as part of Trump’s “corruption” that threatens American democracy.
Newsom was adamant that the best way to stop Trump and the GOP was for Democrats to be just as tactical as they are.
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“We’ve got to wake up to this new reality. So we have to be, dare I say it, I’m sorry, Democrats, that we have to be as ruthless as our opposition,” said Newsom. “We do. We have to win. It’s all on the line. You just got to win. I’m done winning arguments, with all due respect to the niceties. It feels good, but we’re going to lose our republic again.”
Several other 2028 hopefuls are also speaking at the CAP conference on Tuesday, including Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ).
