Gov. Gavin Newsom, in his final State of the State address, said California has served as a bulwark against President Trump and the “purposeful chaos” emanating from Washington, casting his state as a “beacon” in a time of political unrest.
Mr. Newsom framed California as a forward‑looking counterweight to what he described as backward federal policies, arguing the state offers the nation a blueprint through its progressive tax structure, minimum‑wage increases and expansive social programs.
“In California, we’re not silent,” Mr. Newsom told state lawmakers. “You’re not hunkering down. We’re not retreating. We’re a beacon. This state is providing a different narrative. An operational model, a policy blueprint for others to follow.”
He said California is looking toward the future as it expands civil rights and lifts up people of all races and religions, while “asserting that no one, particularly the President of the United States, stands above the law.”
Not impressed were the legislature’s Republicans.
State Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones called the speech an “airbrushed spin job” that sought to obscure California’s distinction as “the single most expensive place to live in America.”
“To cut through the campaign stump speech he [Newsom] just delivered, he’s working hard to pull the wool over the eyes of the nation and convince us his unequivocal failure as a governor somehow makes him qualified to be our president,” said Mr. Jones in the GOP response.
The two-term governor spoke after House Speaker Robert Rivas held a moment of silence for Renee Nicole Good, the 37-year-old activist shot and killed Wednesday by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent during a protest in Minneapolis, saying she was murdered.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the protester used her car to block officers, refused their orders, then sought to run over an officer, who appeared to be struck by the car’s bumper and was released after treatment. The FBI is investigating the incident.
Mr. Newsom didn’t second Mr. Rivas’ comments, but didn’t repudiate them, either.
“For some of you, it may have been a little jarring, what [Mr. Rivas] said. For others, it was more than appropriate,” the governor said.
Mr. Newsom faces significant challenges as he approaches the end of his tenure, including lingering questions about his handling of wildfires that ripped through Los Angeles and a projected budget shortfall that could tarnish his image ahead of a likely presidential run.
The address doubled as a preview of his pitch to voters if he seeks the Democratic nomination in 2028.
“We face an assault on our values unlike anything I’ve seen in my lifetime,” he said. “The federal government, respectfully, is unrecognizable, protecting the powerful at the expense of the vulnerable.
“The federal government’s credo is fear — fear of the future, fear of the stranger, fear of change,” he said. “The president believes that might makes right.”
He added, “None of this is normal.”
The 58‑year‑old’s willingness to confront Mr. Trump has helped him tap into the deep well of anti‑Trump sentiment among Democrats, making him a consensus front-runner should he enter the race.
He has made a habit of trolling Mr. Trump online, and the state has sued the administration more than 50 times. He also notched a victory against the Trump‑led redistricting push after voters approved a referendum clearing the way for Democrats to draw friendlier congressional districts ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
Looking to further control his storyline, Mr. Newsom is scheduled to release a new book next month, “Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery.”
Seeking to draw a contrast with Trump-led Washington, Mr. Newsom painted a rosy picture of California, saying the state has shown that “this experiment in democracy belongs not in the past, but in the future.”
He argued that the state’s approach — from higher wages for fast‑food and health care workers to record taxpayer spending in public education and child care — demonstrates that “success is not by chance, it’s by design.”
He cited growth in the high‑tech and clean‑energy sectors as evidence that California’s model can withstand national turbulence. He said homelessness and violent crime are down and that revenues came in higher than expected despite the gloomy fiscal forecast.
Mr. Newsom repeatedly turned his fire on Mr. Trump.
He criticized immigration enforcement tactics, alleging that people are disappearing after being seized by masked men, and accused Washington of shifting the tax burden from the billionaires onto the backs of small businesses, farmers and the middle class.
He said the president’s signature domestic achievement — the “Big Beautiful Bill” — threatens the health care coverage of nearly 2 million Californians and would leave hundreds of thousands without food assistance.
Mr. Newsom also sought to highlight what he called Mr. Trump’s “complete failure to act” following the wildfires.
“It’s time for the president of the United States to act like the President of the United States — all the United States of America — and fulfill the promises he made to deliver for the people of Los Angeles,” he said.
