California Gov. Gavin Newsom said President Donald Trump is the “gravest threat to American democracy” as he addressed voters ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Newsom, viewed as a possible Democratic presidential candidate for 2028, has repeatedly clashed with Trump and his Administration over a range of political and legal disputes.
“If you disagree with him, he tries to prosecute you. If you beat him, he calls you illegitimate. This is not normal in a democracy,” Newsom said in a social media post Monday night. “From Georgia to California, we must stop him.”
Newsom hit the campaign trail in Nevada last week in an effort to boost Democrats in the midterms.
Democrats hope to regain control of the House and Senate, both of which are currently held by Republicans. A Democratic victory in the House would restore the party’s ability to more aggressively scrutinize the Trump Administration, including through congressional investigations.
When contacted for comment by TIME, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said Newsom is “the worst governor in America.”
Newsom’s latest remarks follow a filmed address he delivered during America’s 250th anniversary celebrations.
In a speech that lasted more than eight minutes, Newsom argued the “nation’s democratic promise is under threat” from what he described as a “corrupt and unstable President.”
“Which is why, on America’s 250th birthday, we need a declaration of election independence—freedom from election manipulators and deniers, freedom from the militarization of election day, freedom from the fear of imprisonment if you don’t go along with Trump’s schemes,” he said.
In May, Newsom signed a bill to strengthen California’s voting safeguards ahead of the primary elections, citing what he characterized as “legitimate anxiety” over potential efforts by the Trump Administration to interfere in the democratic process.
Trump has repeatedly questioned the integrity of U.S. elections while pushing for passage of the SAVE Act, legislation that would require proof of citizenship for voter registration and impose other election-related restrictions. His efforts have drawn bipartisan criticism.
Just last month, Trump accused California Democrats of “cheating” and “trying to steal” elections from Republicans as Democrat Nithya Raman edged out his preferred candidate Spencer Pratt to secure the second spot in the Los Angeles mayoral race.
Newsom’s office responded by saying “Trump is lying about California again.”
But the tensions between the long-time sparring partners extend far beyond vote counts.
Newsom clashed with the President in June last year after he deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles to quell immigration-related protests without the request, or approval, of state leaders.
Trump suggested Newsom should be arrested over his handling of the unrest, insisting the National Guard was needed.
A legal battle ensued over the deployment of the troops, which were then sent to other cities across the U.S., sparking further backlash from Democratic leaders.
In his speech marking July 4, Newsom looked back on that time, warning: “Hear me clearly, that was a test run, a rehearsal. He’s measuring how far he can go and who would dare stop him.”
Trump also blamed Newsom for the severity of the Los Angeles wildfires that engulfed swaths of land in January last year. Newsom hit back and said the President was “playing politics” with the disaster.
The pair clashed again over matters related to redistricting efforts ahead of the midterms.
Newsom led a successful ballot measure last November, securing the redrawing of California’s congressional district maps, a move designed to flip as many as five Republican-held seats, in response to a Trump-backed redistricting effort in Texas.
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