Fired-Up Newsom Shares His Pitch for a Democratic Turnaround

During an interview in Sacramento, Newsom suggested Democrats drop their old rule book and adopt a more aggressive style to oppose Trump.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom greets people.
Steven Senne/AP

An animated Gavin Newsom on Wednesday shared his pitch for how to turn around the Democrats’ brand and better oppose President Donald Trump’s administration, identifying the party’s ailments with a one-word diagnosis.

“At the end of the day, to me, the essence of the challenges of the party is weakness,” the California governor told Politico reporter Christopher Cadelago during an hour-long interview on stage in Sacramento.

Dressed in the plain, dark shirt and denim jeans he wears on his podcast, Newsom offered insight into how he thinks Trump is planning to stay in office after the 2028 election.