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California Gov. Gavin Newsom is in open conflict with Donald Trump’s administration amid an announcement that his state will attempt an off-cycle gerrymandering of their congressional map in order to counteract a similar effort by Republicans in Texas.
Trump “doesn’t play by a different set of rules. He doesn’t believe in the rules,” Newsom said Thursday. “We have got to recognize the cards that have been dealt, and we have got to meet fire with fire.” California, unlike Texas, would need to approve the new electoral maps through a special election in November, but the move is a bid to cow the Lone Star State into abandoning its Trumpian ploy to gain an advantage in the 2026 midterms.
The administration responded to Newsom’s announcement by deploying Border Patrol agents to the Japanese American National Museum, where the governor held his press conference to announce the state’s redistricting effort. Masked federal agents conducted arrests outside of the event.
Newsom called the move a “sick and pathetic” stunt shortly after. During the presser, when he learned that immigration officials had arrived outside of the venue, Newsom told the audience that the incursion was a sign that Trump “is a failed president. Who else sends ICE at the same time while having a conversation like this? Someone who is weak, broken. His weakness is masquerading as a strength.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass told reporters that there was “no way” the raid was a coincidence, and an intentionally “provocative act.”
The administration may be particularly upset with Newsom this week, as the governor’s office has been trolling the White House with mocking tweets satirizing Trump’s absurd social media lexicon.
The X account for Newsom’s press office began tweeting in the style of Trump earlier this week, writing out posts in all caps and inserting some of the president’s favorite phrases — like “THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION IN THIS MATTER” and “HUGE” — and excessively using quotation marks.
The tweet storm caused at least some level of consternation within the White House Press Office.
“The all caps tweets from Newsom’s team are very weird and not at all funny but I know some dweeb is sitting in they/thems office cackling to themselves thinking they’re a world class comedian,” White House Deputy press secretary Abigail Jackson wrote on X.
On Thursday, White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung called Newsom a “coward and Beta Cuck,” accusing Newsom of being “too chicken shit to take questions from the press after giving an incoherent speech.”
Newsom’s press office responded by noting that he did, in fact, take questions at the press conference, along with a Trumpian: “Steven Cheung (incompetent Trump staffer) doesn’t know how to use his computer. SAD!”
Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo complained about Newsom’s tweeting as well. “Is he joking, is this a joke?” she wondered.
The posts might be a joke, but the California governor’s push to fight back at Trump and the GOP’s attempt to gerrymander their way toward a 2026 House majority are very real, and the stakes just keep getting higher.Texas Gov. Greg Abbott today called a new special session for the state’s Republicans to jam through their gerrymandered map. They weren’t able to do so during the last special sessions after Democrats fled the state to block a vote, but this time Democrats are expected to be back. Newsom and California appear ready to respond if Texas Republicans proceed as planned.
