During the Biden administration, many Trump cultists threatened to “secede” or start a “civil war.” Now that those dumbf–ks got another Trump presidency, it will be interesting to see how they react to various liberal-haven states putting up roadblocks to the Trump agenda. The state of California’s economy is larger than most countries – it is actually the largest sub-national economy in the world. California has 39 million people and a $4.080 trillion gross state product (GSP). If they secede from the Confederacy of Trumplandia, things could get very interesting. For now, Governor Gavin Newsom has called back the state legislature to ensure that California is prepared for all things Trump.
One day after Donald J. Trump declared victory in the presidential race, Gov. Gavin Newsom resurrected efforts in California to thwart the president-elect by asking state lawmakers to pre-empt potential Republican actions that could impact the Democratic-led state.
California leaders have long seen themselves as a bulwark against right-wing extremism, and Mr. Newsom has positioned himself nationally as one of Mr. Trump’s loudest critics. They could soon be joined in legislative efforts by other Democratic-led states such as Washington, especially given the federal power that Republicans could wield next year if they win the House in addition to the Senate and the White House.
Mr. Newsom called Thursday for a legislative special session to begin in Sacramento on Dec. 2, several weeks before Mr. Trump takes office, “to safeguard California values and fundamental rights in the face of an incoming Trump administration,” according to the governor’s office. It will initially focus on funding state litigation around Trump administration actions that might impact civil liberties, reproductive rights, immigrant protections and climate action in the state.
“The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack — and we won’t sit idle,” Mr. Newsom said in a statement. “California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond.”
In a social media post, the governor said the state “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.”
The Times also notes that California’s state leaders have ongoing friendships and partnerships with their West Coast sister-states, Oregon and Washington state. Gov. Newsom will probably be in contact with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who has already told Trump that “You come for my people, you come through me,” and that Illinois’s minority communities remember the “chaos, retribution and disarray radiated from the White House the last time Donald Trump occupied.” One of the big things on the agenda for these Democratic governors with majority pro-choice populations is that they fear/know that a second Trump administration is likely to push through a draconian national abortion ban, and what will likely be a successful attempt to take abortion medication out of circulation. After that, the Trump administration – and the Supreme Court – will take away the Griswold v. Connecticut protections for birth control. Incidentally, Newsom and Pritzker are probably the two top candidates for the Democratic nominee in 2028.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.