Democrat Governors Gavin Newsom (CA), Josh Shapiro (PA), Phil Murphy (NJ), Gretchen Whitmer (MI), JB Pritzker (IL), and perhaps others, are continuing their quixotic nonsense about how they're going to "Trump-proof" their states against whatever evils they pretend will be visited upon them during President-elect Donald Trump's second term.
So there lies the question:
Can they really do it? Can Democrat politicians across America who are also riddled with Trump Derangement Syndrome make it "impossible" for the next president of the United States to implement his policies in their various states and or cities?
Self-aggrandizing Newsom appears to think he can.
As RedState reported in late November, the California governor announced a plan to offer rebates for EVs (electric vehicles), but that the plan would exclude Teslas, which was immediately ripped as "insane" by Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who also noted with incredulity that Tesla is the only EV manufacturer that actually makes it vehicles in the no-longer Golden State.
Newsom's plan would extend the now-expired Clean Vehicle Rebate Program if Trump follows through on his pledge to eliminate a federal tax credit for EV purchasers.
Even California Democrat Rep. Ro Khanna slammed Newsom's clearly political plan, calling it "foolish."
Tesla makes over 550,000 vehicles in Fremont in my district & employs over 20,000. Let's not play politics with keeping manufacturing in California. It would be foolish to exclude Tesla. Have we learned nothing from snubbing @elonmusk at the Biden EV summit?
No, Rep. Khanna, your party hasn't learned anything, particularly in the aftermath of Trump's historic win. That is, it hasn't learned anything other than to trot out even stupider strategies – like "Trump-proofing" – in its opposition to the incoming administration.
READ MORE:
While Newsom is clearly angling to be the 2028 Democrat presidential nominee, particularly after the spectacular implosion of Vice President Kamala Harris' brief but disastrous campaign, what about the other governors I listed at the top?
Might Shapiro, Whitmer, Pritzker, Murphy, or others challenge Newsom as the assumed 2028 Democrat frontrunner? Bank it. Also, bank this: Among the Trump-haters in the Democrat Party, there's no better strategy (they think) over the next four years than trying to block everything Donald Trump proposes or supports.
With respect to Newsom and his efforts, George Washington University Law School Professor Jonathan Turley wrote in an article posted on Tuesday (emphasis mine):
Newsom has upped the ante by demanding millions to pre-fund litigation against the new administration. With a massive budget debt burden, Newsom has continued to pile on new debt for politically popular initiatives.
I cannot recall any state pre-positioning funds for the sole purpose of litigating against any incoming administration. The most obvious area of disagreement is the effort to ramp up the enforcement of immigration laws and to carry out deportations. While polls show that the public overwhelmingly supports such enforcement, including deportations, California is seeking to take the lead in court actions designed to slow or frustrate such efforts.
It could prove costly, not just in litigation expenditures. The Trump Administration could seek to withhold federal funding from states and cities obstructing enforcement efforts. In the meantime, sanctuary cities are continuing to face rising costs associated with rising populations of undocumented migrants.
We use the word "insane" a lot around here. The above block quote is a perfect example of why we do.
Despite overwhelming support for not only enforcing existing federal immigration laws but also for deporting illegal aliens who have continued to flow into the U.S. for the last four years due to the intentional policies of the Biden-Harris administration, Newsom and other Democrat politicians plan to fight Trump's pledge to put an end to the insanity.
Here's more from Turley:
Newsom is moving to out-position governors (and potential primary opponents) like Shapiro and Whitmer. Pritzker moved first in a chest-pounding press conference that he would stop the incoming administration from trying to remove undocumented persons, declaring, “You come for my people, you come through me.” Murphy added that he will “fight to the death” against Trump’s agenda.
In a similar example, Denver Democrat Mayor Mike Johnston threatened to prepare his city for a “Tiananmen Square moment” to fight any attempts by the next Trump administration to deport illegal aliens by not only ordering Denver police to be “stationed at the county line to keep [ICE] out” but also by “50,000 Denverites.” He later walked back the hollow threat, yet repeated that Denver is still positioning itself to be part of the "resistance."
READ MORE:
Denver Mayor Who Threatened to Stop Deportations Folds Like a Lawn Chair After Tom Homan Threat
So here's the thing:
Newsom and other Democrat governors, along with the majority of the Democrat Party and its left-wing media sock puppets, remain shell-shocked by reality – not only that Trump thumped Harris, went 7-0 in critical swing states and 3-0 in so-called "blue-wall states," but also that multiple down-ballot Democrats also lost their races.
Toss in the Republicans regaining control of the Senate and (barely) hanging onto the House, and Democrats across the fruited plain are terrified by their delusionally perceived threat of Team Trump and the MAGA crowd.
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Here's the other thing:
While Newsom might be "focusing on setting aside millions to fund a high-profile legal campaign against Trump’s administration," as Turley noted, "his litigation campaign (and likely that of other Democrats eying 2028) is unlikely to change federal enforcement efforts significantly."
However, Newsom and various other Democrats hope it will significantly aid their electoral enhancement efforts.
Shocked? Me, neither.
Period.
