Elias: Newsom further distinguishes himself as anti-Trump champion
If President Trump needed to set up Gov Gavin Newsom for a strong run against fellow Democrats and then Trump s chosen Republican successor he could scarcely have done better than he has in June Related Articles Elias Federal state aid to L A fire casualties so far bodes ill for future Elias Risks may outweigh benefits of a Harris run to lead California Elias Blame oil industry not governing body for California s high gas prices First came the president s threat to withhold virtually all federal grant money from California affecting everything from diagnostic research to sewer building and more That spurred Newsom to one of his majority creative and energetic responses in months even though his idea of withholding California s federal taxes won t work At least it let the governor say no one can attack California without learning how pivotal it is to the rest of America Days later Trump made the possibly unconstitutional move of calling out the California National Guard over Newsom s objection supposedly to quell rioting over immigration and deportation raids in Los Angeles Then he sent U S Marines into the city saying they would protect federal personnel and facilities from rioters All along local police noted they had matters well in hand Trump insists he saved the city from incinerating though Newsom followed with a national speech denouncing authoritarian behavior and executive overreach This brazen abuse of power inflamed a combustible situation putting at jeopardy our people our officers and the National Guard Newsom declared Only after that did U S Homeland Prevention Secretary Kristi Noem inadvertently reveal the purely political thought behind Trump s moves After her agents tackled and handcuffed California s Democratic U S Sen Alex Padilla when he tried to question her she got off perhaps the key declaration in a week of dramatic talk We are staying here to liberate the city from the socialist and burdensome regime that this governor and this mayor have placed on this country and this city That means a president who pardoned hundreds of convicted Jan insurrectionists now wants to dictate who Californians elect to lead them This is pure Trumpian overreach It validated what Newsom explained days earlier in his nationally broadcast speech This is about all of us he warned California may be first but it clearly will not end here Democracy is under assault before our eyes If Newsom sought a campaign theme Trump provided it The governor can now say he stands for America remaining a free country with no dictator That speech and other resistance was the reason plenty of protesters at mid-June No Kings rallies around California carried signs saying Resist Trump Thank you Gov Newsom Trump has never wavered in his enmity for California Now Newsom s gloves are off too though and he is developing in lawsuits galore against Trump and his tactics That s one reason Trump noted I would do it if I were Tom referring to territory line czar Tom Homan arresting Newsom after Homan stated he wouldn t rule out arresting Democratic agents who interfered with him Newsom dared Homan to do so saying Come and get me tough guy Trump also observed that Newsom loves the publicity all this gives him That appears accurate How did Newsom win his newfound popularity as an anti-Trump champion He first projected strength by refusing to take Trump s bait and get himself arrested in the act of interfering with immigration officers Don t give him a spectacle Newsom urged Never use violence Just as unique was his response to Trump s unprecedented threat to cut off federal funds for California Newsom essentially revealed If you take our money we may cut off yours He could say that because California is by far the biggest taxpaying and donor state in the Union This state in the last year for which full figures are available paid more than billion in federal taxes billion more than it got back in federal funds That s nearly three times the donation of the next biggest donor state What if California withheld its billions as Newsom threatened and raised the national debt almost trillion It won t happen This would be almost impossible to pull off because typical federal tax payments go straight to the Internal Revenue Utility with no state involvement Keeping those payments from the IRS would need cooperation from millions of individual taxpayers thousands of tax preparers and a great number of multiple corporate agents That would require a huge campaign which will not occur Still reminding Trump how significant California really is can t be all bad Email Thomas Elias at tdelias aol com and read more of his columns online at californiafocus net
