By Eliyahu Kamisher and John Gittelsohn
California Governor Gavin Newsom took to the airwaves Tuesday night — with federal troops stationed in his state’s largest city and immigration agents rounding up residents — and warned Americans that democracy itself was under attack from President Donald Trump.
And in eight minutes, Newsom seized a new role: leader of the opposition.
His face framed by US and California flags, Newsom denounced Trump’s decision to send the military to Los Angeles following protests against immigration sweeps. He cast his appeal not to Californians but to the nation as a whole, saying other states would surely be next.
“Democracy is under assault before our eyes. This moment we have feared has arrived,” Newsom said. “We all need to stand up.”
For Newsom, 57, it was a catalyzing moment. Like many Democrats, the two-term governor and potential presidential candidate spent months after the November election testing different approaches to Trump and Republican voters. He launched a podcast courting right-wing figures, slammed his own party’s brand as “toxic” and angered many of his supporters by criticizing the participation of transgender youth in girls’ sports. Although he and Trump sparred over January’s deadly, Los Angeles-area fires, which the president tried to blame on California’s water policies, the two men still shared a firm handshake when they met later that month.
The past week’s fast-moving events have now swept those other approaches away. Trump mobilized the National Guard — against the governor’s wishes — after immigration protests in downtown Los Angeles turned violent and ordered 700 Marines to the city, although federal law generally prohibits US troops from domestic law enforcement. Newsom accused the president of intentionally inflaming the situation and sued over what he called a “power grab.”
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This article originally appeared here and was republished with permission.
