California’s far-left Governor Gavin Newsom has fired off a threatening letter to President Donald Trump, demanding that he “stand down” on supposed red-state redistricting efforts – or else face a massive counter-gerrymander from the Golden State’s Democrat machine.
The ultimatum, which Newsom’s office blasted out in all-caps, reads:
DONALD TRUMP HAS 24 HOURS LEFT TO RESPOND TO GOVERNOR NEWSOM’S LETTER. IF HE DOES NOT STAND DOWN, THERE WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT PRESS CONFERENCE THIS WEEK WITH A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.
DONALD TRUMP HAS 24 HOURS LEFT TO RESPOND TO GOVERNOR NEWSOM’S LETTER. IF HE DOES NOT STAND DOWN, THERE WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT PRESS CONFERENCE THIS WEEK WITH A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 11, 2025
Newsom accused Trump and Republican-led states like Texas of “playing with fire” and warned that California is prepared to neutralize any Republican gains by gerrymandering multiple blue seats to ensure Democrat dominance.
Oh, the irony! Newsom lectures about “democracy” while admitting he’s ready to unleash his own gerrymandering scheme to “offset” what he baselessly calls Republican rigging.
The letter reads:
I am writing to ask you to call on the governor of Texas and other red states, who are acting on your request to draw new congressional maps through an unprecedented, mid-decade hyper-partisan gerrymander to rig the upcoming midterm elections, to stop those efforts.
You are playing with fire, risking the destabilization of our democracy, while knowing that California can neutralize any gains you hope to make. This attempt to rig congressional maps to hold onto power before a single vote is cast in the 2026 election is an affront to American democracy.
This is not what the Founders envisioned, and California cannot stand idly by as this power grab unfolds. I do not do this lightly, as I believe legislative district maps should be drawn by independent, citizen-led efforts, as we have done in California for the last two decades.
If you will not stand down, I will be forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California to offset the rigging of maps in red states. But if the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will happily do the same. And American democracy will be better for it.
Read the letter @CAGovernor Gavin Newsom just sent Donald Trump:
“If you will not stand down, I will be forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California to offset the rigging of maps in red states.” pic.twitter.com/Atuz478VJ5
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) August 11, 2025
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