Gavin Newsom's address to California on June 10, 2025ca.gov
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday warned Americans in a televised address that the country is witnessing the initial phases of American democracy’s slide toward authoritarianism with the president’s deployment of the military to respond to peaceful protests in Los Angeles.
“California may be first, but it clearly will not end here,” Newsom said. “Other states are next. Democracy is next.”
“Democracy is under assault right before our eyes,” he continued. “The moment we’ve feared has arrived.”
The speech, which many remarked resembled that of a wartime president, further appeared to cement Newsom’s role as the Democratic Party’s primary voice of opposition, after repeatedly blasting Trump’s actions in LA.
Trump’s deployment of the military came in response to Los Angeles residents protesting ICE’s workplace raids in the region, a key point in the president’s plot to increase mass deportations across the country. The demonstrations, which started Friday, were overwhelmingly peaceful—until Trump’s call to send in the National Guard. Trump has since deployed more National Guard members, as well as the Marines, to the city.
Despite the heavy condemnation, Trump is showing no signs of descalation. As he explicitly warned on Tuesday, anyone protesting his military parade this weekend—even peacefully—would be met with “very heavy force.”
