California Governor Gavin Newsom says he thinks President Donald Trump will seek to remain in office beyond his constitutional term in 2028, and use federal agents to try to rig future elections in his and his Republican supporters’ favor.
Newsom, who has acknowledged he might run for president in 2028, has become one of the Democratic party's most forceful and visible critics of Trump. He gave what appeared to be his most extensive and full-throated warnings about the current president, and the state of American democracy, in a 48-minute Aug. 27 interview at POLITICO’s “The California Agenda: Sacramento Summit.”
The United States is on the precipice of tipping into authoritarianism, Newsom said, because of actions taken by Trump including using federal immigration agents as “the largest private police force in history” for his own political benefit.
Repeatedly urging the audience to “wake up,” Newsom said the rule of law in America “is being replaced by the rule of Don,” and warned that Trump and his administration will send federal agents to polling places and voting booths across the country in upcoming elections.
Newsom also said he thinks Trump wants to stay in office, and questioned whether there would be future democratic elections at all.
