Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed concern Tuesday that President Donald Trump might attempt to cancel the 2028 presidential election to remain in power.
Speaking on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert”, Newsom warned that Trump could not only try to manipulate next year’s midterm elections but also the next presidential race.
Newsom said he is “raising awareness around how Donald Trump is trying to rig the midterm elections,” and added, “I fear that we will not have an election in 2028.”
“I really mean that in the core of my soul. Unless we wake up to the code red, what’s happening in this country — we wake up soberly to how serious this moment is,” he told Colbert.
Earlier in the conversation, Colbert asked Newsom about his efforts to counter Trump and the GOP’s agenda while strengthening the Democratic Party.
Newsom, who previously interviewed conservative activist Charlie Kirk and commentator Steve Bannon, highlighted his attempts to engage with the other side through civil debate.
“I think it’s important to have those civil engagements. I think it’s important to dialogue. It’s important to learn from your opponents, and it’s important to reconcile your weaknesses,” he said.
The governor also emphasized the need for Democrats to regroup following their 2024 losses.
“As a Democratic Party, we have a lot of work to do to make up for our failures in the past. We got crushed in this last election, and now we are in a position where we are struggling to communicate, we’re struggling to win back now the majority in the House of Representatives,” he explained.
Newsom described the challenging environment Democrats face during Trump’s second term.
“A lot of anxiety, a lot of stress, a lot of folks that honestly don’t know if we’re going to get our country back, and I get it. This guy is flooding the zone. He’s dominating the narratives. Facts don’t seem to matter, and Democrats, frankly, have had a difficult time pushing back,” he said.
He noted that many Democrats “feel this weakness that dominates our brand and our party” but expressed confidence in his approach to confronting Trump.
“And I think what people appreciate is that we’re willing to fight and not only fight symbolically by having a little bit of fun but fight substantively. We have 41 lawsuits against the son of a b—-. We’re pushing back, and we’re winning.”
