“Stop me. Let’s finish, sir to cook. I don’t care … Tom, stop me. Let’s go. »»
It was with these words that Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, retorted to the threat of President Trump this week of mandating Tom Homan, the “border tsar”, to stop him against the background of violent demonstrations in Los Angeles.
Homan later said that the Trump administration had “no intention of arresting” the governor, since he had not committed a crime.
It is not every day that a governor is threatened with arrest by the President of the United States.
At the head of the most populous and richest state in the country, Gavin Newsom seems so far galvanized by his role as opponent no 1 by President Trump.
Max Taves, deputy editor -in -chief of opinion pages and columnist for Californian daily newspapers Mercury News And East Bay Timesbelieves that the current crisis can give wings to Gavin Newsom … as it can flow.
Photo Mark Schiefelbein, Associated Press Archives
Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump in January, when fires raged in the Los Angeles region
“He is Donald Trump’s new bane,” he said in an interview. There was Clinton, Biden, Harris … Now, Trump’s enemy is Gavin Newsom. »»
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Gavin Newsom is an opponent known for Trump, recalls Rafael Jacob, associate researcher with the Raoul-Dandande chair of UQAM.
“During the first Trump administration, Gavin Newsom was also stationed. They had several confrontations on immigration and climatic agreements, in particular. »»
Former mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, 57, married and father of four, has not hesitated for some time to go talk to the Republicans on their own land.
In December 2023, he debated with Ron Desantis, governor of Florida, live on Fox News.
In March, in his new Balado This is Gavin Newsomthe governor made waves by declaring that the participation of transgender women in female sports is “deeply unfair”.
Progressive activists have accused him of having “betrayed” his past ideals. Several have seen an attempt to join a more conservative vision of the company in order to present themselves as a moderate in the eyes of a national electorate.
Join the voters
Gavin Newsom seems to think of running for the presidency in 2028. The challenge will be to see if he is able to attract independent voters and some Republicans, notes Mr. Jacob.
“In California, the advantage of the Democrats is so great that Mr. Newsom does not need to win the independent vote to be elected. On the national scene, he will have to seek self-employed and republicans, “he says.
An Economist/Yougov National Survey published last week, before the crisis, revealed that Gavin Newsom left from a distance in a possible race for the White House. Its popularity rating is at -13 points, against -7 for Donald Trump.
That said, the governor seems to have the American population for his part when he denounces the military response of the White House in the face of demonstrations in Los Angeles.
Photo Robyn Beck, Agency France-Presse
Members of the National Guard deployed in Los Angeles to suppress demonstrations against migrant expulsions
This week, a Yougov survey has shown that Donald Trump’s decision to deploy Marines in Los Angeles supported 34 % of respondents, while 47 % disapprove of.
For Michael Labossiere, a philosopher and author who teaches theories of knowledge at A & M University in Florida, in Tallahassee, the risk is that Newsom evaluates the way in which voters will see the demonstrations in Los Angeles.
“Gavin Newsom wants to be the valiant knight who faces the bad dragon, but he could be perceived as a buffoon storage on the side of chaos,” he explains. If Trump manages to portray him as a supporter of demonstrations, migrants and “crime”, and to exploit the fear of Americans, Newsom will be bad. »»
On the other hand, if he succeeds in appearing strong against Trump, it will be very beneficial to him, he said.
“The left wants someone acting. But the question is how the left joins a large part of the population. »»
For Max Taves, Gavin Newsom may remain the target of Trump for a long time, simply because Trump has a tooth against California and all that the state represents.
“The conservatives want to see California fail. The state pays high wages, has a more healthy population, invests in green technologies. In short, everything to which the right is opposed, “he said, adding that he would not be surprised to see Trump then attacking San Francisco, who is the true heart of Californian politics.
Negative point: the roaming crisis in California is likely to harm Gavin Newsom’s chances, says Mr. Taves. “This is the biggest issue for him. It is a crisis that has taken decades to materialize, but that could dominate his candidacy. The right will want to associate it with this crisis, play with the image of a “chaotic” and “dysfunctional” California. It is not won in advance for him. »»
Insurmountable task? No one can say, notes Rafael Jacob.
“In 2005, few people saw Barack Obama in the White House. However, three years later, it was a reality. Many things can happen by the next election. »»
