SACRAMENTO, Calif — Donald Trump being elected for a second presidential term once again puts California Governor Gavin Newsom and California’s liberal ideology in conflict with the Executive Branch.
From 2016-2020, Newsom established himself as one of the most prominent anti-Trump voices in politics. The two rarely saw eye-to-eye when it came to issues like climate change, abortion or the handling of the COVID pandemic.
Newsom strongly campaigned for Kamala Harris during her bid for president, traveling to battleground states to drum up support, but the effort ultimately fell short.
A day after Trump was declared president-elect, Newsom released the following statement, highlighting how California will remain committed to a peaceful transfer of power:
“California will seek to work with the incoming president — but let there be no mistake, we intend to stand with states across our nation to defend our Constitution and uphold the rule of law ... Federalism is the cornerstone of our democracy. It’s the United STATES of America.”
Though a second Trump term begs the question: what’s next for California and Newsom?
As CalMatters veteran columnist Dan Walter wrote in his election op-ed, California has become “a bastion of anti-Trump sentiment ever since the bombastic billionaire real estate tycoon first ventured into politics nearly a decade ago.”
Throughout Trump's first term, California constantly challenged his actions over a variety of issues. According to CalMatters, California filed over 110 lawsuits against the Trump Administration from 2016 to 2020.
Political analyst Steve Swatt expects more of the same from Newsom and California state leaders.
“California’s attorney general and Governor Newsom, I’m sure are thinking right now: where are we going to go to court? Where are we going to challenge some of these issues," Swatt said.
A big issue to watch for in California under Trump is the distribution of federal disaster relief aid to help the Golden State battle wildfires. While on the campaign trail, Trump threatened to withhold funds over Newsom’s water policies. It led to Newsom firing back on X:
This year, California received several federal disaster relief grants from the Biden-Harris administration to battle wildfires across the state.
Studies show devastating wildfires have become more common, and disaster relief funding will undoubtedly be needed to help fire officials mitigate the harm.
“I think there’s always concern about how a Trump presidency is going to respond when we have natural disasters; wildfires, earthquakes,” said Capitol Weekly's editor-in-chief, Rich Ehisen.
Another major issue pitting Newsom against Trump is access to abortion. In 2022, California enshrined the right to abortion in the state’s constitution, months after Roe v. Wade was overturned.
In March, the Associated Press reported Trump suggested putting in a nationwide 15-week abortion ban. Ehisen highlights how lawmakers fear a Trump presidency could oversee a nationwide abortion ban superseding state law.
As for what’s next for Newsom, he terms out as California's governor in 2026.
Leading up to the 2024 presidential election, he consistently shut down rumors and reporter questions about his presidential aspirations. Ehisen sees Newsom's response changing in the next campaign cycle.
“I hope he has a renewed sense of purpose,” Ehisen said. “Because, in a way, Kamala Harris’ defeat was good for him, because I still believe in 2028, he’s going to position himself as a candidate.”
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