Meeting the moment

Following his constituents' lead, Newsom stood up to the fascists.

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Last night, California Governor Gavin Newsom gave an extraordinary speech to his constituents in California and the nation. Newsom outlined the stakes of the Trump Regime’s recent escalation in Los Angeles, framed it as an authoritarian takeover attempt, and called on all of us to join the fight and resist Trump.

I encourage you to watch the speech or read the transcript.

It’s a welcome moment from an elected official. Showing leadership simply by naming the problem and being honest with people about what the Trump Regime is attempting. The kind of moment that many of us have wanted to see from our elected officials all year. Admittedly, the bar was low, but Newsom sailed right over it. He met the moment when it counted.

Admittedly, I’m a little surprised by this. On Friday, as it became clear there would be an escalation, I found myself thinking that Gavin Newsom was the worst possible line of defense. He’s spent much of this year hosting a podcast and inviting MAGA influencers on as guests. He’s thrown the Trans community under the bus. Newsom loves a good political stunt, and previously agreed to debate Florida governor Ron DeSantis on Fox News. I spent much of last weekend, knowing what I’ve long said about blue state governors and Attorneys General being on the front lines was coming to fruition, and certain that Newsom would fail miserably when we needed him most. I simply didn’t trust him to hold the line.

I’m pleased to be wrong. And I’m more optimistic that other elected officials see the response to Newsom’s speech and that it gives them the courage to stand up and hold the line as well. Hopefully, the overwhelmingly positive response to Newsom’s remarks will inspire more elected officials to find their courage and meet the moment, too.

As I’ve written before, no one is coming to save us. Newsom isn’t leading as much as he’s matching the energy and activism of his constituents. Now more than ever, it’s vital that we keep speaking out, keep showing up, and fight the fascist takeover on every front. The Trump Regime continues to cross lines almost daily. This week, they arrested and charged a union president, opened Congressional investigations into more than 200 non-profit organizations that work with immigrant communities, exploited the military in an attempt to incite violence in California, and terrorized communities with ICE raids. The cost of doing nothing is that we lose everything, and the Trump Regime has shown they’re all in on taking everything away from us.

The fight is now, and the stakes are apparent. I urge everyone who is able to attend a No Kings protest this weekend, and prepare for a summer of more non-violent protests, mass direct action, mutual aid, and community care. The Trump Regime fully expects everyone from Gavin Newsom to you and me to back down and accept the transformation of America into an authoritarian state. Make sure they know we won’t let them.

“I know many of you are feeling deep anxiety, stress, and fear. But I want you to know that you are the antidote to that fear and that anxiety. What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence, to be complicit in this moment. Do not give in to him.” -Gavin Newsom.