Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) on Thursday convened a special session of the state legislature intended to quickly address climate change, secure access to abortion, protect immigrants, and a host of other issues ahead of President-elect Donald Trump‘s January inauguration.
Newsom’s preemptive strike on a conservative federal agenda that is likely approaching has triggered the return of a hostile relationship between one of the most liberal states in the nation and the Trump administration. It also no doubt helps burnish the credentials of Newsom as a foe of Trump for the next four years. Newsom is among the betting favorites for the 2028 Democratic presidential ticket in the very early stages.
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California sued the Trump administration more than 120 times during his first four years in office.
“The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack — and we won’t sit idle,” Newsom said in a statement. “California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond. We are prepared to fight in the courts, and we will do everything necessary to ensure Californians have the support and resources they need to thrive.”
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The special session would start in Sacramento on Dec. 2 and is an effort to “safeguard California values and fundamental rights in the face of an incoming Trump administration,” Newsom’s office said.
“Whether it be our fundamental civil rights, reproductive freedom, or climate action — we refuse to turn back the clock and allow our values and laws to be attacked,” the governor also posted on X.
California is also home to Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-CA), who centered his campaign on being the country’s chief Trump antagonist.
While he did not mention Trump by name during his victory speech, he vowed to guard the country’s democratic institutions.
Schiff said that as senator, he is “committed to taking on the big fights to protect our freedoms and protect our democracy.”
In May, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his staff had used Trump’s campaign platform to prepare legal challenges should Trump win another term. On Thursday, he, too, weighed in on Trump.
“No matter what the incoming administration has in store, California will keep moving forward,” Bonta said. “We’ve been through this before, and we stand ready to defend your rights and protect California values. We’re working closely with the governor and the legislature to shore up our defenses and ensure we have the resources we need to take on each fight as it comes.”
California has teamed up with other West Coast states in recent years on the environment and other issues.
In nearby Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee (D-WA) boasted that “when Trump messed with our state, we sued him 97 times — only losing two cases on the merits while he was in office.”
Bob Ferguson, Inslee’s successor, scheduled a news conference on Thursday with the incoming attorney general to discuss the state’s plan of action for when Trump moves back into the White House.
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Trump mounted an extraordinary political comeback to be elected the 47th president on Wednesday.
He swept the “blue wall,” which included Wisconsin and Michigan, to clear the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency.
