Appearing on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” former GOP presidential candidate and current Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy drew a blistering historical comparison between California Governor Gavin Newsom and infamous segregationist George Wallace—and he didn’t mince words. While Ramaswamy admitted a personal fondness for Newsom, he warned that the Democrat’s defiance of federal immigration law is dangerously reminiscent of a shameful chapter in American history.
“I know Gavin Newsom. I actually happen to like him as a person,” Ramaswamy said. “The reality is, he’s not going to like what I have to say on this, which is that his behavior is starting to resemble that of another Democratic governor from US history by the name of George Wallace, who was the governor of Alabama, who famously stood in the way of federal desegregation.”
That history is well known—Wallace made national headlines in 1963 by literally standing in a schoolhouse door to block black students from entering. It was President John F. Kennedy who had to step in and federalize the Alabama National Guard to enforce desegregation.
Fast-forward to 2025, and President Donald Trump is now dealing with a modern-day standoff, as Gavin Newsom openly resists federal immigration enforcement, ordering state officials to defy ICE agents and shield illegal aliens in sanctuary cities. To Ramaswamy, the parallels are clear.
“And in 1963, President John F. Kennedy had to deploy the National Guard of Alabama,” he said. “Just like President Trump is doing today.”
Ramaswamy wasn’t finished drawing lines between past and present. “George Wallace resisted desegregation. Gavin Newsom is resisting deportations. George Wallace wanted segregated cities. Gavin Newsom wants sanctuary cities. George Wallace stood in the school door blocking the way. Gavin Newsom is blocking the ICE vans.”
According to Ramaswamy, this isn’t just reckless governance—it’s political theater. He accused Newsom of staging these confrontations with federal authority to boost his national profile.
For our VIPs: Newsom Isn't Leading His State; He's Running for President
“It’s the same Democrat governor playbook,” Ramaswamy said. “You dodge the feds, you rally the radicals, and most importantly of all, you do it in front of the cameras because what they were both doing is really carving their Democratic primary path for the presidential ambitions.”
But if Newsom thinks this performance will land him in the White House, Ramaswamy had a sobering prediction.
“Jesse, you can mark my words on this one,” he told host Jesse Watters. “Gavin Newsom’s presidential ambitions are going to end in the same place that George Wallace’s did—in the dustbins of history where it belongs.”
That, Ramaswamy concluded, “is just the truth.”
It’s a scathing assessment—but one that reflects growing frustration with Democrat governors who ignore the rule of law in favor of progressive posturing. And as Ramaswamy made clear, history isn’t likely to be kind to those who pick political stunts over the Constitution.
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