As Donald Trump this week assumed the presidency for the second time, he rekindled his private and political feud with California and its governor, Gavin Newsomwhereas additionally inflating Newsom’s apparent ambition to be resistor-in-chief — and maybe the 2028 Democratic candidate for the White Home.
Had Trump misplaced to Kamala Harris, it most likely would have doomed no matter presidential ambitions Newsom would possibly harbor. She presumably would have run for a second time period in 2028. Trump’s win did Newsom an enormous favor since he can solely serve another time period, setting the stage for wide-open scrambles in each events.
On his first day again on the job, Trump as soon as once more singled out California for scorn, thereby burnishing Newsom’s standing inside his social gathering.
Trump devoted a few of his 30-minute inaugural speech to California, alleging — untruthfully — that the state’s leaders allowed Los Angeles wildfires to burn with out “a token of defense.”
“They’re raging through the houses and communities, even affecting some of the wealthiest and most powerful individuals in our country, some of whom are sitting here right now,” Trump stated.
Later, in one other speech to supporters, Trump accused California of voter fraud as a result of it sends out ballots to all voters and doesn’t demand verification of eligibility.
“There’s only one reason that happens: they want to cheat,” Trump stated.
Newsom responded blandly in a put up on Xsaying the Los Angeles fireplace catastrophe “underscores the critical need for partnership, a shared commitment to facts and mutual respect — values that enable civil discourse, effective governance, and meaningful action.”
Newsom stated he seems ahead to Trump’s go to to the fireplace scene and added, “Where our shared principles are aligned, my administration stands ready to work with the Trump-Vance administration to deliver solutions and serve the nearly 40 million Californians we jointly represent.”
Setting apart humanity, humility, charity, generosity, rationality, actuality and different distractions, the Los Angeles fires add one other aspect to what was already a fraught relationship between two selfish political figures.
Had the fires not erupted only a few days earlier than Trump took the oath, the 2 might have entertained political junkies for the subsequent few years. Trump’s assaults on California insurance policies, corresponding to its drive to remove gasoline-powered autos and the allocation of water, would have been met with lawsuits and political resistance, in a replay of Trump’s first time period.
Nonetheless, California is now trying to Washington for billions of {dollars} to defray firefighting prices, rebuild infrastructure misplaced within the flames and assist householders get better. Trump can both comply with by means of on predecessor Joe Biden’s pledges to assist, or refuse the state’s pleas.
Even when Trump agrees to supply reduction, he’s prone to demand not less than some type of submission from Newsom, as he did throughout his first time period when fireplace swept by means of Paradise in 2018. Figuratively, Newsom needed to kiss Trump’s ring to get support. Congressional Republicans have already been pushing for circumstances on restoration funding for California.
Throughout his marketing campaign final yr, Trump threatened to withhold fireplace reduction funds until California supplied extra water to farmers.
Trump would possibly demand much more tangible tribute, corresponding to not opposing arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants, considered one of his most contentious guarantees and one which particularly impacts California.
Politically, Trump doesn’t owe deeply blue California something. Making California politicians eat crow would most likely win applause from his supporters in different states, who see California as a cesspool of loony-left politics, squalor and crime.
Primarily, Newsom should select between being the governor of California who does no matter is important to get the catastrophe reduction his constituents are demanding, and a possible presidential candidate who resists Trump on each level and at any price.
Will probably be very troublesome for him to have it each methods.