Gavin Newsom accuses Trump of 'trying to stoke a civil war' for 'white supremacy'

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA: California Gov Gavin Newsom delivered a blistering attack on President Donald Trump during a public event in San Francisco on Thursday, Jan 15, accusing him of deliberately inflaming tensions across the country and warning that his actions threaten democratic norms.

Newsom made the remarks while announcing more than $419 million in new state funding for local homelessness programs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego.

Gavin Newsom slams Trump’s use of federal force

Speaking at the Friendship House in San Francisco, Newsom didn’t hold back; he switched gears and aimed at national politics, blasting Trump for sending militarized federal forces into American cities.

He talked about heavily armed teams, tactical gear, and even aircraft showing up in neighborhoods all over the country.

“And in the ensuing months, we've seen BORTAC teams, people dressed up, tactical gear, Apache helicopters, descending the streets all across America, masked men without providing identification”, Newsom said.

He criticized what he described as masked federal agents operating without identification, adding that California is currently challenging such actions in court.

“He's trying to stoke a civil war in this country. It is a disgrace to what he's doing in Minneapolis. It is a disgrace what he's doing all across the United States of America, terrorizing communities,” Newsom said about Trump.

Gavin Newsom issues warning

The governor didn’t stop there. He accused Trump’s administration of stirring things up on purpose, using their words and messages to crank up the tension.

Newsom called out the Department of Homeland Security and their political ads, saying they use images that remind him of the 1930s.

In his view, they’re trying to scare people and drive everyone further apart.

“It is a disgrace what his Department of Homeland Security is putting out. I mean, these ads evoking the worst, the 1930s, very intentionally stoking tensions,” he said. “White supremacy being promoted actively by this administration.”

Newsom emphasized that such behavior should not be treated as routine political conduct.

“None of this is normal. And it cannot be normalized. So we-take it very seriously,” Newsom continued, slamming Trump’s policies.

Newsom keeps making it clear that he’s one of Trump’s loudest critics on the Democratic side.

He doesn’t shy away from comparing how California runs things to what’s happening at the federal level under Trump.

Even though this event was supposed to focus on homelessness funding, you could tell from the governor’s comments that California’s big policy moves are getting tangled up in the bigger national political fight.