California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered a speech Tuesday night, seemingly targeting both California residents and the entire nation, stating, “What’s happening right now is very different than anything we’ve seen before.”
Newsom, addressing the recent deployment of troops to manage violence during demonstrations against ICE raids, said, “This isn’t just about protests here in Los Angeles. When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state in this nation.” He described Trump’s actions as a “brazen abuse of power” that “inflamed a combustible situation.”
Newsom emphasized the broader implications, stating, “This is about all of us. This is about you. California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next.”
He heavily criticized Trump, accusing him of wanting to operate outside the bounds of law and the Constitution and of leading an assault on American traditions. He also suggested that Trump was intentionally “fanning the flames” in Los Angeles.
Newsom asserted that California could have handled the situation with its own law enforcement, explaining, “The situation was winding down and was concentrated in just a few square blocks downtown. But that—that’s not what Donald Trump wanted. He again chose escalation. He chose more force. He chose theatrics over public safety.”
He condemned the deployment of National Guard and Marine forces as “illegally and for no reason,” referencing a lawsuit filed by California against the Trump Administration.
“These are the men and women trained for foreign combat, not domestic law enforcement. We honor their service, we honor their bravery, but we do not want our streets militarized by our own armed forces—not in L.A., not in California, not anywhere.”
Newsom, whose term ends in 2027 and who is seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, largely focused on denouncing Trump’s immigration policies, linking them to a move toward authoritarianism.
“California is no stranger to immigration enforcement, but instead of focusing on undocumented immigrants with serious criminal records and people with final deportation orders, a strategy both parties have long supported, this Administration is pushing mass deportations, indiscriminately targeting hard working immigrant families regardless of their roots or risk,” Newsom stated.
He described the fear among undocumented residents, claiming the Trump Administration is conducting a “military dragnet” in Los Angeles. “We’re seeing unmarked cars in school parking lots, kids afraid of attending their own graduation. … His agents are arresting dishwashers, gardeners, day laborers, and seamstresses. That’s just weakness, weakness masquerading as strength. Donald Trump’s government isn’t protecting our communities. They’re traumatizing our communities. And that seems to be the entire point.”
“If some of us could be snatched off the streets without a warrant, based only on suspicion or skin color, then none of us are safe,” Newsom warned. “Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves, but they do not stop there. Trump and his loyalists—they thrive on division because it allows them to take more power and exert even more control.”
Newsom also criticized Trump on issues beyond immigration, including attacks on democratic institutions, the media, judges, and prosecutors, as well as holding a rally where officials were “forcing them to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past.”
“Democracy is under assault before our eyes,” Newsom declared, accusing Trump of undermining the separation of powers. “There are no longer any checks and balances. Congress is nowhere to be found. Speaker Johnson has completely abdicated that responsibility. The Rule of Law has increasingly been giving way to the Rule of Don.”
Trump, who has publicly criticized Newsom, had not yet responded to the speech.
Newsom concluded with a call to action: “The Founding Fathers—they didn’t live and die to see this kind of moment. It’s time for all of us to stand up. If you exercise your First Amendment rights, please, please do it peacefully. I know many of you are feeling deep anxiety, stress, and fear, but I want you to know that you are the antidote to that fear and that anxiety. What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence, to be complicit in this moment. Do not give in to him.”
“`