Overview

• On The Late Show on Sept. 23, Gavin Newsom said he fears the United States may not hold a 2028 presidential election unless people wake up to what he called a code red.
• He accused President Trump of trying to rig the midterm elections, pointing to Republican-led redistricting that he argues aims to preserve GOP control of the House.
• Newsom highlighted California’s Prop. 50, a Nov. 4 special election to let lawmakers temporarily take over congressional map-drawing, a proposal opposed by the League of Women Voters and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
• To illustrate what he called authoritarian actions, he cited Trump’s June federalization of the National Guard and the deployment of about 4,000 troops plus 700 Marines to patrol Los Angeles during anti-ICE protests.
• He touted an aggressive response that includes 41 lawsuits against the administration and a social media strategy parodying Trump, drawing polarized reactions and fresh debate over political rhetoric.