California Governor Gavin Newsom didn’t mince words in a recent interview, declaring that the United States is currently facing a “five-alarm fire” as he warned that President Donald Trump is trying to “win by any means necessary” to push his agenda. He got straight to the point with ABC News’ Jonathan Karl, stating point-blank that he genuinely believes the situation is “Code Red” and that the country is sliding headfirst into “Putin election” territory.
Newsom isn’t just worried about the next election; he’s convinced that “We won’t have a country” and “There will not be a fair and free election” if folks don’t actively take a stand against what he sees as a dismantling of core American institutions. He didn’t hesitate to slam Trump’s previous time in office as “the biggest, most corrupt administration in history,” which is a statement that definitely holds a lot of weight.
To back up this claim, he brought up examples of what he called “this great grift,” specifically pointing to the costs like the “$400 million plane” and the “billion dollars of your tax money, as we’re cutting food stamps to pay for the damn plane”. It’s a harsh truth about how some of your hard-earned money might be getting used, and it’s pretty hard to ignore.
Newsom warns we could end up like Russia
Newsom expressed a deep concern about the people around the president, too. He mentioned individuals like Trump adviser Steve Bannon, stressing that “they’re not screwing around”. This is a clear warning that the political maneuvering is serious and calculated, something the public needs to be aware of.
He then asked a rhetorical question that really makes you think: “I’m afraid we’re going to lose our country. And where the hell is everybody? Why aren’t we standing up to principle?”. You can hear the genuine exasperation in his voice, and honestly, I get it.
It doesn’t stop there, either. Newsom didn’t hold back on his disgust with the current political and business landscape. He’s “disgusted what’s happened in this country” and specifically called out the “supine Congress,” the way the private sector is conducting themselves, and even the way universities are “selling their soul”.
He was especially outraged that people aren’t more upset about all of this. This kind of personal and passionate reaction makes him feel like a knowledgeable, yet friendly, guy who genuinely cares about what’s going on, much like when I talk about a top-tier new tech product.
On the other hand, he offered a sharp contrast to all the “childishness” he sees from Trump by defending former President Joe Biden, whom he called “one of the most successful presidents in the last century”. To be fair, Newsom admitted that he had disagreements with Biden, especially on issues like the border, which is a point of real friction he and other governors noticed. However, he was quick to celebrate Biden’s long list of accomplishments, which he says are constantly being “wiped out” by Trump.
He stated, “I will defend that to my grave” when talking about the CHIPS and Science Act, the infrastructure bill, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), praising them as the “right policies for this country”. Interestingly, the Governor’s anger isn’t just aimed at policy, but also at Trump’s unique style of social media trolling and interview antics, like posting photoshopped images of himself as the Pope, Superman, or even on Mount Rushmore.
Newsom is countering this by putting “a mirror up to Trump and his childishness” on his own social media, posting images that belittle the president, such as one that depicted him as Marie Antoinette. He argues that this tactic is meant “To put a mirror up to this absurdity” and “call people out for their complicity,” since people have allowed this behavior to be normalized.
