Good morning, Governor Newsom. It has been a pleasure to see you wake up and redevelop your spine in the last couple of weeks, surely as a result of my previous criticism of your obsequiousness in the face of the administration. However, it will take more than your recent show of defiance for you to accomplish your ultimate goal; that is, you need to provide 2028 Democratic primary voters with significantly more reasons to vote for you.
Recently, you have garnered a degree of fawning adoration from despondent liberals over your response to the imposition of military rule on Los Angeles. Your demand that “border czar” Tom Homan directly arrest you is certainly admirable, but recent events have shown that you might be all bark and no bite.
Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander have all been arrested in their attempts to defend constitutionally granted rights against federally empowered thugs. California Senator Alex Padilla was assaulted while trying to ask puppy killer and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem a question. Newsom, so far, is all bluster.
Beyond the ultimately performative strategy of getting yourself arrested, you can take steps to protect Californians’ rights as governor: fostering bar cooperation between local law enforcement and federally controlled forces, fighting in courts against the blatant violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, reasserting control over the California National Guard and increasing funding for immigration lawyers. Speaking to the camera in a live stream where the audio originally failed is not enough. Show that you can defy fascism, and Democratic voters will reward you.
Furthermore, you need to be leading the charge against this administration’s long-term legislative agenda. Yet, instead of viciously attacking Republicans’ plan to shove 16,000,000 Americans off of health insurance, you — along with Minnesota Governor and likely primary competitor Tim Walz — have caved to political pressure and suggested freezing Medi-Cal enrollment for undocumented immigrants.
That is not the leadership Democratic voters will be looking for in 2028.
Instead of accepting right-wing framing, make good on your threat to suspend California’s $83 billion subsidization of the federal government and direct the funds to healthcare that Republicans want to defund. Similarly, actually implement one of the best laws you signed and start producing insulin, providing a model for how the public sector can operate efficiently to drive down costs.
I know that as a political opportunist, you know that healthcare is always top of mind in an election. Show that you can effectively protect Californians from the death cult in the White House, and Democratic voters will reward you.
On another front, a strong candidate for the worst senator, Utah’s Mike Lee, recently made headlines by proposing to sell off federal lands for development to private investors. He has pitched this as a 21st-century version of the Homestead Act as a means of addressing the housing shortage. This might be the most significant issue facing California, but I am sure we can all agree that turning Yosemite into another San Jose is not the way forward.
Rather, ratchet up your use of the builder’s remedy to wrest control from obstructionist city councils and force them to construct affordable housing. Streamline the environmental review process and push an upzoning agenda through the state legislature over NIMBY legislators. The way to solve a housing shortage in our cities is, unsurprisingly, to build more houses in our cities. And for god’s sake, build the fucking High Speed Rail already.
Despite Joe Biden passing the greatest infrastructure law in decades, voters do not associate Democrats with managerial competence. Demonstrate that blue states can be a model of effective governance, and Democratic voters will reward you.
As governor, you can do little regarding foreign policy and the recent, arguably illegal bombing of Iran. You do not have the power to impeach, though you should certainly call for it. Still, it is vital that you provide a clarion call against the warmongering and naked imperialism of this administration. With invisible national leadership like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, casually pro-war leadership like Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and impotent leadership like party chairman Ken Martin, you have an opportunity to present yourself as an advocate for peace.
Americans, let alone Democrats, do not want war with Iran on Israel’s behalf. Americans do not want to annex Greenland, they do not want to commandeer the Panama Canal and they do not want to annex Canada.
Ultimately, I am glad that you have seen the light and decided to posture against the administration, at least for now. It is leagues better than the deference employed by one Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and you are at least signalling defiance far more than the missing-in-action national leadership. But knowing you, this pivot might be temporary.
Accordingly, President Trump’s approval rating, particularly on immigration-related issues, has taken a hit as Americans see the impact of his nativist policies. Where is your spirit? It is not enough to posture as the tough playboy with perfectly slick hair without action to back it up.
Voters in 2028 will remember what you did to respond to each of this administration’s overreaches, and it would be better for your sleazy ambition to heed this advice: fight them at every turn. Do not appease them. Do more than post on X, cathartic as it may seem. Simply, be a good governor, elected to defend 40 million Californians from a President that we did not elect. Then, Democratic voters will reward you.
Akshay Seetharam (HM ’27) is the crossword constructor for TSL and on occasion punishes readers with his political opinions. He looks forward to the Adams-Cuomo-Mamdani race and hopes we are not at war with Iran when this piece is published.