Letter from San Francisco

All options have been exhausted to counter Donald Trump: facts, investigations, lawsuits, indifference. Everything, perhaps, except upping the ante – shouting louder, escalating the taunts and the boasting. That is the strategy California's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, has employed in recent weeks, now proclaiming himself "AMERICA'S FAVORITE GOVERNOR" in all caps on social media platforms.

His temper began to flare in early June, when the president deployed the California National Guard without Newsom's approval to address unrest in Los Angeles – specifically, protests against anti-immigrant raids. At the end of July, Newsom exploded when Trump called on Texas Republicans to redraw electoral districts to maintain a majority in the November 2026 elections. Newsom responded by launching a parallel redistricting initiative in California to nullify Republican gains. "Thank you for your attention to this matter," he posted, plagiarizing one of Trump's favorite expressions.

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