Highlights from Gavin Newsom's "Sunday Morning" interview: Proposition 50, opposing Trump, and 2028

California Governor Gavin Newsom told Robert Costa in an exclusive interview for “CBS Sunday Morning” that the Democrats’ redistricting in his state was an effort to protect “the future of this republic” and a necessary step to stop President Trump from expanding Republican gains in the U.S. House and keeping its slim majority.

The Democrat talked about a lot of things, including Proposition 50, which will be on the ballot come November 4, and his own plans for the 2028 election.

Proposition 50
In response to President Trump’s demand for redistricting in Republican-controlled states like Texas, Newsom has been going across his state talking about it.

California is letting people decide on Proposition 50 on November 4. This is different from Texas, which gerrymandered districts in the state legislature. This will allow for redistricting in next year’s midterm election.

If Proposition 50 passes next week, Democrats will redraw the lines of U.S. House districts in California. This will make it easier for their party to win up to five additional seats. Democrats hold 43 U.S. House seats in the state right now, while Republicans hold 9.

Newsom is saying that the endeavor is about more than just California’s Congressional representation; it’s also about keeping an eye on the Trump administration. He said, “I think it’s about our democracy.” “It’s about the future of this country.” I think it’s about what the founding fathers lived and died for: the idea of the rule of law, not the rule of Don. This concept of popular sovereignty is based on the idea that all branches of government are equal and that there should be checks and balances.

Newsom thinks that if his party wins back the House and replaces Republican Speaker Mike Johnson with a Democrat, Trump’s reign will be ended. “[Trump’s] presidency de facto ends, if we are successful, we the people are successful, in taking back the House,” he stated. “You’ll have put the system back in balance. Co-equal branch of government begins to assert itself. “It looks like it again.”

He is worried about what might happen if the Democrats don’t take over the House. “If you have a Speaker Johnson, we may have a third term of President Trump,” he said, referring to Mr. Trump’s public thoughts about running for a third term even though the Constitution only allows presidents to serve two terms.

Trump’s military deployments
Newsom has fought against Mr. Trump’s sending federal agents to California. This includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Los Angeles and the threat of federalized National Guard troops in San Francisco and the Bay Area (which the president eventually drew back). In fact, the state has filed 43 lawsuits against the Trump administration since Inauguration Day. Costa remarked, “What’s it like to be the governor of California and not know every day if the federal government is going to send agents to your state?”

“That’s a terrible way to run a government,” Newsom said. “I mean, we’re just governing in a time of great uncertainty, like the tectonic plates we know about here on the West Coast, but in terms of our politics.” This may not be the smartest thing to say about a President of the United States, but I mean, he’s an invasive species.

“Is it for California?”

“To help the country. Newsom responded, “For the world.” “He’s a ball of destruction.” Not just the meaning and symbolism of the East Wing; he’s destroying truth, trust, tradition, institutions, and alliances.

He also turned down ideas that ICE agents are needed in California because of what the White House called “third-world insurrection riots on American soil.”

“California cooperates as it relates to criminals,” he stated. “We continue to work with ICE to go after the ‘worst of the worst’ by releasing hundreds of people from our state prisons every month. Everybody understands that’s not what this is about. You can’t just show up at a car wash and tell me it’s “the worst of the worst.” You don’t just show up at every Home Depot’s showroom or parking lot.

Podcasting to learn more about people who support Trump
Newsom isn’t just against Mr. Trump; he’s also trying to figure out what the MAGA movement is all about. His podcast, “This Is Gavin Newsom,” features guests from both sides of the political spectrum, including Steve Bannon, Newt Gingrich, and the late Charlie Kirk, who were all supporters of the president. Newsom said that his son has told him to listen to other people. “We’ve got a crisis in this country besides the crisis that we’ve discussed around the future of this republic,” he remarked. “We’re also having a problem with guys and masculinity. Men are having a hard time. I mean, the rates of suicide, dropping out of school, being suspended, being lonely, and being in despair are through the roof. What is happening in this country is a big problem.

“Democrats haven’t paid attention to that. And I’m quite proud of the real work we’re doing on this, but I’ve also been utilizing the show to talk about it.

Making fun of Trump on social media
The governor also makes fun of the president by using satire, just like Mr. Trump does a lot on social media. Newsom’s communications team often makes fun of President Trump’s usage of all-caps and AI-generated visuals. They even sign off with, “THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.”

Newsom has remarked that he uses social media to make politics more fun and to confront President Trump by employing Trump’s own tactics.

Plans for 2028
“Sunday Morning” followed Newsom throughout South Carolina, a critical state in the 2028 presidential election, for a day in July. Newsom shook hands with people and even made espresso shots at a coffee shop.

others who went to Newsom’s rallies and others in politics were interested in the fact that he might be thinking about running for president himself.

“I can’t wait to see who steps up in 2028 and who is ready for that moment. And that’s the question for the American people. “That’s up to them,” Newsom said in an interview last week.
Costa asked, “After the midterms in 2026, will you really think about it?”

“Yes. If I didn’t, I’d be lying. I would just be lying. And I’m— I can’t do it.”

He added it would be necessary for a candidate to tell voters exactly why they are running. Nietzsche remarked, “If you have a strong why, you can get through any how.” So, I believe that the hardest thing for anyone who runs for office is that people can see straight through you if you don’t have a reason. “You’re doing it for the wrong reasons.”

“When I saw you slinging shots behind the coffee bar, I thought, ‘This guy might run for president.'” Costa added.

Newsom, who was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child, remarked, “The idea that a guy who got 960 on his SAT, that still struggles to read scripts, that was always in the back of the classroom – the idea that you even throw that out is, in and of itself, extraordinary,” he laughed. “Who the hell knows?”

Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/highlights-from-gavin-newsoms-sunday-morning-interview-proposition-50-opposing-trump-and-2028/

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