VIDEO: ‘Democracy Is Next,’ Gov. Newsom Warns
As federal agents conducted large-scale, targeted raids in Los Angeles Tuesday night, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) framed the ongoing showdown between his state and the Trump administration as a battle for our system of popular rule.
“Democracy is under assault right before our eyes,” Newsom warned. “The moment we’ve feared has arrived.”
On Saturday, President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests over immigration raids. As Angelinos exercised their First Amendment rights, Trump sent a clear message: His quest for an authoritarian regime — free of the restraints of federalism — has officially begun.
“This administration is pushing mass deportations, indiscriminately targeting hardworking immigrant families regardless of their roots or risk. What’s happening now is very different than anything we’ve seen before,” Newsom cautioned.
Federal agents used tear gas, flashbang grenades and detained individuals — undermining their due process rights. As ICE separated families and illegally arrested American citizens, the Trump administration called on the National Guard to incite more violence and fuel the fire.
Newsom’s address was not only a message to his constituents but a warning to governors across the country.
“California may be first, but it clearly won’t end here,” Newsom said. “Other states are next. Democracy is next.”
Donald Trump’s government, he explained, isn’t protecting communities — they’re traumatizing communities. Right now, they’re targeting vulnerable individuals, but that’s just where authoritarian regimes start — that’s not where they end. The Trump administration will try to sow division so they can further encroach on our rights and take control.
Newsom said California will continue to fight for our democracy, and he encouraged people to fight alongside him.
“What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence, to be complacent in this moment,” Newsom said. “Do not give into him.”