California Governor Gavin Newsom recently spoke out with strong concerns about American democracy under President Donald Trump. During an interview with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, Newsom shared his worries about the future of fair elections in the country.
The Democratic governor was critical of the Trump administration, saying it was “the biggest, most corrupt administration in history.” He talked about issues like presidential pardons and spending he sees as wasteful, including $400 million on a presidential plane while programs like food stamps are being cut. Newsom also brought up how Trump posts edited images of himself online, like pictures showing him as the Pope, Superman, and on Mount Rushmore.
“I really am scared to death about what’s going on in this country. I really believe it is Code Red. It’s five alarm fire,” Newsom told ABC News. He warned that if people don’t stand up now, “We won’t have a country. We won’t have an election that’s fair and free if we don’t stand up. There will not be a fair and free election. It’ll be a Putin election. Was it 87% or is it 87.3%? That’s what Trump wants.”
Someone finally decided to punch back at Trump
By comparing future American elections to Russian ones, where outcomes are basically decided ahead of time, Newsom made clear just how serious he thinks the situation is.
Newsom has become one of the loudest Democratic voices pushing back against Trump’s second time in office. The California governor has started using Trump’s own playbook against him, posting messages in all capital letters on social media and creating AI pictures that make fun of the president. Many Democrats have responded positively to this because they’ve wanted someone who would fight Trump with the same energy he uses.
Right now, Newsom is leading a big fight over redistricting in California with something called Proposition 50. This measure would redraw the state’s congressional district lines to help Democrats win more seats. He’s doing this because Trump has been pushing Texas to create five new Republican seats by changing their maps in the middle of the decade. Newsom’s plan, which has the official name Election Rigging Response Act, would only last for three election cycles in 2026, 2028, and 2030.
During the interview, Newsom also talked about his concerns over Trump and his ally Steve Bannon discussing the possibility of Trump running for a third term in 2028. The Constitution doesn’t allow this, but Newsom said he takes their comments seriously. He shared a story about being in the White House when Trump showed him a painting of Franklin D. Roosevelt and joked about wanting a fourth term. Newsom said about Trump and his supporters, “They’re not screwing around.”
Even with all his public criticism, Newsom said he and Trump actually get along pretty well when they talk in private. But he pointed out that Trump “doesn’t want interpersonal confrontation” face to face and will instead “attack in public when you’re not there” and then lie about what happened. Looking ahead, Newsom said he feels good about where the Democratic Party is heading, describing them as “now appearing to be back on their toes, not their heels.”
He wants other Democratic leaders to understand that Trump is “succeeding because we’re still playing by the old set of rules” and that they need to fight harder against what he sees as attacks on American institutions. The California governor has been dealing with difficult decisions on several issues while establishing himself as a major opponent of the Trump administration.
Published: Oct 30, 2025 06:00 pm