Commentary: Newsom’s Message to Trump Administration on California Power Grab Is Clear — He’s Not Backing Down

Joe W. Bowers Jr. | California Black Media 

For months, Pres. Donald Trump and his allies have used California as a political punching bag. 

But Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has never shied away from a political brawl — especially with Trump — is speaking with new force, especially after Trump’s decision to federalize the California National Guard and deploy 4000 troops and 700 U.S. Marines to Los Angeles without state approval. 

Calling the deployment “unauthorized, unconstitutional, and reckless,” Newsom sued the Trump administration in federal court. He also argued that Trump’s military intervention in Los Angeles violates the Posse Comitatus Act and undermines the state’s constitutional right to self-governance. The lawsuit demands that federal forces be withdrawn and that California regain control over its National Guard units. While legal scholars debate the strength of the claim, Newsom is betting that both the courts and public opinion will side with California. 

Then came JD Vance. 

The Vice President’s trip to Los Angeles last week was meant to deliver a message: California is out of control, and Trump is taking charge. But instead of making the case, Vance gave Newsom exactly what he wanted — a reason to fight, publicly and unapologetically. 

Vance’s visit was short, but it was long enough to ignite controversy and underscore how sharply Newsom is responding to the Trump administration’s overreach. 

Vance landed at Los Angeles International Airport at 1:35 p.m., arrived at the federal building in Westwood by 2:00 pm to meet with Marines, federal agents, and police, then staged a news conference at 3:11 p.m. in front of a fire truck—ignoring the fact that communities across Los Angeles were still recovering from devastating wildfires. The moment, scripted and performative, was like it came straight from central casting—visually polished but out of touch with the reality on the ground. By 3:30 p.m., he had left for a high-dollar Republican National Committee fundraiser at the Beverly Hills Four Seasons, and by 6:05 p.m., he was back on Air Force Two — gone from LA in under five hours.

As Newsom’s press office posted on X: 

“It was very generous of the Vice President to take time out of his closed-door fundraiser to stage a photo op in front of a fire truck — where he mistakenly called a Latino U.S. Senator ‘Jose.’” 

Vance had referred to Sen. Alex Padilla, his former Senate colleague, as “Jose Padilla,” a name associated with a convicted terrorist. 

Newsom didn’t let it slide. 

“JD Vance served with Alex Padilla in the United States Senate. Calling him ‘Jose Padilla’ is not an accident,” Newsom posted on X. 
 

Then came the challenge: 

“Hey @JDVance — nice of you to finally make it out to California. Since you’re so eager to talk about me, how about saying it to my face? Let’s debate. Time and place?” Newsom posted on Instagram. 

This was the latest in a string of increasingly pointed responses from Newsom — proof that he’s not just defending California’s autonomy but taking on the fight on his own terms. 

Vance made no effort to engage with the communities affected by the unrest or wildfires. Newsom posted that local leaders like Victoria Knapp of the Altadena Town Council were open to meeting with him and hoped he would acknowledge the wildfire damage and urge the president to approve long-overdue federal disaster aid.

Instead, during his 14-minute press event, Vance blamed Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass for the protests and accused them of encouraging violence. 

Bass fired back. “We kept the peace,” she said. “You parachute into the city, pass all kinds of judgment, and then you leave. You add to the provocation and the division.” 

She also blasted Vance for disrespecting Padilla, saying, “You don’t know his name, but you served with him — and you still do. The Vice President is also the President of the Senate. How dare you call him ‘Jose’? He may look like ‘anybody’ to you, but he’s not just anybody to us. He is our senator.” 

Padilla responded on MSNBC: “He knows my name… It’s just an indicator of how petty and unserious this administration is. You’d think he’d take the situation in Los Angeles more seriously.” 

Still, this commentary isn’t about Vance’s blunders — it’s about Newsom’s emergence. 

He’s met Trump’s aggression head-on, matching him post for post, lawsuit for lawsuit. When Trump called for his arrest, Newsom didn’t flinch — he pushed back. 

 “The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America … this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism,” wrote Newsom. 

And when Vance told him to “Do your job,” Newsom hit back: 
 

“Do YOUR job. We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. Rescind the order. Return control to California.” 

For Newsom, this is no longer just a clash of personalities or party platforms – it’s a constitutional line in the sand.

Trump’s move to override local control hits especially hard in communities of color that have long experienced the harm of militarized policing. Newsom gets that. His response isn’t just legal — it’s personal, forceful, and unflinching. 

By going head-to-head with Trump and Vance, Newsom isn’t just defending California — he’s doing it with clarity, conviction, and a willingness to confront power directly. In a political moment defined by noise and posturing, his plainspoken rebukes are cutting through. 

Newsom’s words matter. He’s not just talking back. He’s pushing back, boldly and effectively. And people are taking notice. 

About the Author

Joe W. Bowers Jr., a contributing editor at California Black Media, is a graduate of Stanford University.