Gov. Gavin Newsom (00:01):
I just want to thank the team and Stewart Knox and Dee Dee Myers and others for all their hard work. This is a great organization, the Economic Summit that's held once a year all throughout the state of California. I've had the privilege I think of being to every one since it was started. I think I missed one. And I think there's no other organization like anywhere else that I know of, certainly in the state, and few in the country. And so I'm grateful for the opportunity to speak and talk about our Jobs First plan, mindful of the economic headwinds that are in front of us, mindful of the vandalism that the President of the United States is doing to the economy. The fact that we are currently experiencing one of the largest tax increases in American history, with tariff rates that are higher than they've been since the 1930s.
(00:52)
A state that is disproportionately impacted by these errant policies by the administration, $100,000 H-1B visas, no other state more impacted than the state of California. The impacts in terms of the sand in the gear that the President is putting in our university system, and the assaults on National Institute of Health, National Science Foundation and other grants. This is code red from an economic perspective. I know the markets are holding up. And perhaps the only scorecard that the President cares about is the bond markets. But I can assure you there's a lot of anxiety out there all across not just this state, but across this country about the President's economic policies. And that's why today was important to reinforce our own path, our own strategies to also reinvigorate our economic engines.
(01:46)
And I'll just briefly on that before I open up to questions remind you that we have no peers in AI. We dominate in this space. We dominate in fusion, we dominate in quantum, we dominate in robotics, we dominate in space. We dominate in next-gen technologies like nuclear. We dominate in agriculture. We dominate as the number one factory state in the United States of America. In every critical category, California has no peers. But we recognize that we have to reconcile some regional differences and address some stubborn challenges here in Stockton as an example, and other parts of the state. And that's again the spirit of the California Stewardship Network, the spirit of California forward, the spirit that brought us the Jobs First plan, a process that unfolded over a five-year period backed up with $287 million of grants and seed funds. A bottom-up, truly organic process that I hope makes Californians proud. And we're putting it to work not just today, but every day in our state. With that, we're happy to answer any questions.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Governor, [inaudible 00:02:59] I'm a reporter with KCRA 3 News. We're seeing reports that President Trump is deploying more than a hundred federal agents to Alameda County starting tomorrow. What's your reaction to that move? And any idea where they'll go from there?
Gov. Gavin Newsom (03:11):
Well, it's absolutely predictable. It's a script that's been written for centuries. It's the authoritarian playbook. You announce your intention to send the military to streets, doing domestic policing operations. You wildly overstate or completely make up crime statistics that are not real, that do not justify such action.
(03:40)
And for this administration, you send first masked men to the cities that you want to militarize. You send your spokesperson, bloviator by the name of Bovino, I think is his name, or the bag men, home men out there. You do a bunch of social media videos. You bring your entire press corps there to highlight your patriotism as you're out there taking strawberry salesmen off the street. You find a few people that deserve to be taken off the street, unquestionably. You highlight those, but there's hundreds that are collateral damage. Communities are torn asunder. Creates anxiety and stress. And that manifests into expressions of free speech. And then you use those expressions and those images as the justification to send the guard and suppress free speech, suppress free expression.
(04:36)
And you do that not only June, July, August, September, but you dial it up around election time. You dial it up around November. You do it a few weeks before. You dial it up in more and more cities. You suppress the vote. And you continue the path of rigging. What we know, it's the intention of this administration to rig next year's midterms and perhaps to wreck this country, as this president has tried to do on multiple occasions.
(05:04)
And I don't need to give you any more evidence of that than what he tried to do on January 6th where he tried to lighten a match to democracy. He tried to wreck this country, tried to dial in and find 11,000, 12,000 votes in Georgia. And of course what he's doing and just did in North Carolina, what he tried to do in Indiana, what he did with five votes in Texas. It's code red for our democracy. And this is as predictable as daylight and darkness. But the darkness of this administration has no peers. And it is a disgrace, but it's hardly surprising. It cannot be allowed to be normalized and we need to call it out for what it is.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
Governor, you said this morning you're expecting to see troops and ICE at polling places. Do you have communications to indicate that that will [inaudible 00:05:53]-
Gov. Gavin Newsom (05:53):
I have experience. We kicked off our election Rigging Response Act at a sacred site, the site of the Japanese internment in Little Tokyo, where people were being bused as we were there at the Democracy Center kicking off our reaction in response to Donald Trump's efforts to rig the election before one vote, the midterm election, he sent out this Bovino character. He sent out the masked men to chill free expression, free speech, to scare people from participating in our event with two US senators, a dozen members of Congress, hundreds of community leaders. I mentioned a strawberry salesman, literal example in that case of collateral damage. Wasn't on the most wanted list, but he was one of the people that Bovino arrested.
(06:43)
That is a preview of things to come. I said it with clarity after the National Guard were federalized. There was a reason he extended the federalization through election day. I mean you're hearing it from other governors now. Everyone's waking up to this. Why do you dial Greg Abbott to find five seats and say you're entitled to five seats unless you know you're going to lose the midterm? He said it yesterday at that sort of Venetian plaza that has substituted for the Rose Garden. It's a wrecking ball presidency. The symbolism of the East Wing is perfect symbolism. This guy is a wrecking ball. And the fact that he said it yesterday should send chills up your spine. He goes, "It appears that presidents lose in the midterm. We cannot allow that to happen." At the same time, he's having folks over to the Oval Office from Indiana because apparently J.D. Vance wasn't persuasive enough.
(07:44)
You've seen the governor of Indiana, the governor, Republican governor say, "Boy, it looks like we may have to do redistricting because the President may be punitive." He said, "Maybe we won't get federal funds." He said that, Republican governor. The hell? More evidence do you need of what's going on in this country? I won't even get into a quarter of a billion dollar scam that he's trying to run, as it relates to this idea and notion that he himself runs the DOJ, or it's his White House. It's not his democracy, it's our democracy. The founding fathers didn't live and die to see this moment.
(08:26)
So we're going to be fierce in terms of our response. We are going to be focused, and quite literally. This is the lawsuit that I will file within a nanosecond of any efforts to send the military to one of America's great cities, San Francisco, that has enjoyed 60% reduction in homicide. Or rather homicide reduction it's lowest it's been in 60 years. It's one of the safest large cities in this country, that's experienced an economic rebirth and growth. Only Donald Trump can wreck that. And we will push back with clarity and conviction. And we'll continue to win in court. I'm confident of that. But in the interim, the damage this president will do to our republic cannot be overstated. So forgive the long-windedness in response, but this is a time not just for choosing, it's a time for acting, not just complaining.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger-
Speaker 5 (09:29):
[inaudible 00:09:29] SNAP benefits, you announced today that the National Guard would be assisting with food banks. What's the timeline on that? How exactly is that going to work? What are they going to-
Gov. Gavin Newsom (09:37):
Well, at the same time, Kristi Noem is enjoying two brand-new planes at the cost of taxpayers of $173 million. At a time the federal government is closed and Donald Trump has literally destroyed the East Wing of our White House to put his ballroom up, for a quarter of a billion dollars. We are now days away from eliminating food to 5.5 million Californians around Thanksgiving, at a time when food prices have never been higher because of Donald Trump's policies. Have you had a cup of coffee? Have you bought a pound of beef?
(10:20)
At the same time he found $20 billion to send to a … Fill in the blank. Maybe he's a dictator. Some have referred to him as that. In Argentina. He's cutting food to people around Thanksgiving. You've seen the lines of people already around the food banks. So we are fast-tracking an $80 million investment. We're front loaning it to get them to food banks. And we're using the framework that we established during COVID to build out our capacity to deliver quickly food to those in need around Thanksgiving by using Cal volunteers and the National Guard, which is exactly what we did to distribute 800 million meals during COVID.
Speaker 4 (11:08):
Arnold Schwarzenegger is campaigning against Prop 50. What is your reaction to that?
Gov. Gavin Newsom (11:14):
I mean, look what's happened to this country. I have nothing more to say on that subject except he's wrong. What we're doing is temporary. It's completely transparent and it's democratic. There's never been maps that have ever been put in front of the voters. This will be the first state in history. To say we are eliminating the redistricting commission is a lie. We're not. The commission remains. And we're doing this in response to an unprecedented assault on our republic, by doing mid-decade redistricting at the behest of the President of the United States. Please, I would say to this gentleman and others that believe that this is an errant path, listen to what those North Carolina representatives said today. They're not even hiding the pretense. Our dear leader told us to do this. Our founding fathers did not live and die to see this moment. It is not the rule of Don, it's the rule of law.
(12:15)
And I hope it's dawning on everyone how precious this moment is. This guy is trying to dial up for $230 million of your money to pad his pockets after using your money, to the extent you ever supported him, his campaign money, to pay for his legal defense, and now take the money personally. Because somehow he's entitled to it, just like he thinks he's entitled to seats in Congress, like he's entitled to wreck the White House, the people's house, to put in a vulgar display of weakness, with gilded tones to deal with his own insecurities and inadequacies. He is, as I said over and over go, nothing more than weakness masquerading as strength.
(13:07)
And so the question is, can the people exercise their power to restore checks and balances by supporting 50? Can the people restore a sense of pride and principles in these enduring principles that our founding Fathers set forth 249 years ago? Can we stand up for people being bullied? Can we stand up for people that are being intimidated and attacked, like American cities, like our diverse communities? Can we stand up to a supreme court that says on a shadow docket it's okay to racially profile in the United States of America? That means all of us. Because of where you congregate, not just the color of your skin or the language you speak. That's Donald Trump's America right now.
(13:52)
This is a revolution that's going on in real time in our country. We need to wake up about it. I know it's shock and awe. It could be overwhelming. And every single day there's a new shiny object. But Prop 50 is foundational if we're going to save this republic. So I would say to those that are opposed to it, wake up to these new realities. Spare me the moral high ground at this particular moment in American history.
Speaker 6 (14:23):
Governor, [inaudible 00:14:21] today shows 62% of likely voters would vote yes on Prop 50. Just get your response to that. And while I have an opportunity, I haven't heard you talk since the [inaudible 00:14:32] videos came out. Any advice to her on that?
Gov. Gavin Newsom (14:34):
Oh, I got no advice. I need advice. We all do. A little humility when you're in this business. We all have those moments. It's political and people are jumping to cast whatever criticism or aspersion. She acknowledged that. So look, a little more humility and grace, because I think all of us have been on the other side of you and your camera at those moments where we weren't our best self. So no advice in that respect. But I think grace.
(15:10)
As it relates to the issue of polls, polls don't vote, people vote. And this is a special election. I'm not naive. It's about turnout, period, full stop. So we're running the 110 yard dash. I had the privilege of being with President Obama on a call today with volunteers, 1.1 million people. 1.1 million people have contributed to this campaign from all 50 states. People understand this is not just about California, this is about our republic, it's about our democracy. And it's about giving us a fighting chance next November.
(15:44)
They're not screwing around. He is going to try to rig this election. He doesn't believe in fair and free elections, period, full stop. It's not complicated. Everybody knows it. And I think the most ridiculous and absurd part is these chamberlains in Congress, these supine failures that appear every day to believe they're still leaders, that are nowhere to be found. What a shame. I mean, I go into Ronald Reagan's old office every single day, Governor Reagan, he's rolling over in his grave, his Republican party. Where is Speaker Johnson? Where's the outrage by what the hell's going on in this country? This is not the United States of America. And I just think for me, in many ways, their obedience to these authoritarian tendencies may be the most disgraceful of all aspects of this moment. It's one thing, Donald Trump's a broken man. He's trying to break this country. Everybody knows that. But to see people in positions of power and influence do absolutely nothing when they must know better, and I believe they do, do nothing. Boy, they're going to have a lot to reconcile at the pearly gates.
Speaker 7 (17:04):
What will you do if Prop 50 fails?
Gov. Gavin Newsom (17:05):
Failure's not an option. We're going to win. We're going to win because people understand how precious this moment is. We're going to win because we had 7 million people show up for the No Kings rally. We're going to win because people haven't given into the cynicism or fear and anxiety. We're going to win because everyone understands in their heart and soul, Democrats and Republicans understand this moment. It is not about red versus blue. It's about red, white, and blue. People understand this guy is trying to wreck this country, period, full stop.
(17:35)
We will win. I have all the confidence in the world as long as we do our job, we the people. And that's why you're going to see me doing a lot more work in the next two weeks to remind everybody what's at stake and put a stake in the ground on November 4th, and send a very powerful message that I hope will ripple all across the United States of America, that we're going to come back and we're on the comeback tour in this country. And we're going to win in 2026 and the presidency of Donald Trump will de facto end on the election day in November, 2026.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Governor, you recently deployed members of the California National Guard to support food banks. Is that deployment in any way connected to the federal government or to concerns about the possibility of Trump attempting to federalize the Guard?
Gov. Gavin Newsom (18:27):
Well, one of the things that I'm most proud of, and I think you all know this because I've said it on multiple occasions, we have 26 National Guard already working in San Francisco. I established that framework. Many of you reported a few years ago, a few years ago before Donald Trump was president. We worked in collaboration with the district attorney. We have a JAG officer at the DA's office. We worked in collaboration with the mayor and county and we established a framework on a joint task force. We worked at the California Highway Patrol. We worked with the DEA and FBI. We worked with our federal partnership together. We still have 26 National Guard working on those operations. Again, you'll know that because we've established that for many, many months.
(19:12)
There's a way of going about doing things. And I say that to make this point, because it goes to your question, the National Guard have been Swiss Army knives. They're the folks on the rattlesnake teams. They're doing vegetation and forest management. They're trying to keep this state safe. These same National Guard men and women, these remarkable people, by the way, teachers, nurses, doctors, EMT, folks that work here, they're members of the National Guard. They're our neighbors. They were out there taking care of their neighbors in LA. Thousands of them that I deployed as commander in chief of the National Guard in the State of California in partnership with LA City and LA County to help with fire recovery. You recall in LA the biggest problem we had were all of the water and food that they were receiving and how many people wanted to do selfies because they were so proud that the National Guard was out there. I had them down at the border, hundreds of them been at the border for years and years, well before Donald Trump came into office.
(20:12)
That's how we use our National Guard. And they also were part of our food bank operation during COVID. And they were exceptional because they're logistics experts. That's what they do. And they worked with Cal volunteers and we have that established partnership. And I'm very worried about 5 million people in a matter of days losing food stamp, losing their SNAP benefits, and entering in a grocery store with Donald Trump's tariffs and inflation and trying to reconcile that price of beef at a time when literally everything that should be up is down and everything that's down is up. And so we're going to make sure we protect their food insecurity, address their food insecurity, and make sure they're protected and feel safe in that process.
(21:02)
And that's what I think we should use the National Guard for. Not this folly, not this nonsense, not the vanity project to show strength, not for a video, which is exactly what this Hegseth guy and J.D. Vance were trying to do when they were shooting military rounds over a freeway, over civilians. And the first round exploded on one of their support vehicles. It happened to be a California Highway Patrol vehicle. All for a video. Respect and revere. I was down there with the military on Friday, day before, meeting with their commanders, meeting with the Navy, meeting with the Marines, in terms of doing what they did in an appropriate and responsible way. But they were abused for political purposes by this administration. You saw the speech from the Vice President, this is without precedent. Vice presidents and presidents don't talk like that in front of our Marines. They don't. That's not normal. That cannot be allowed to be normalized. That's not the United States of America. Blowing up boats in the middle of the sea, ready, fire, aim. That's not the United States of America. Wake up everybody.
(22:23)
So forgive me, this is not surprising. Playbook, announce the National Guard, say everybody wants them, crime's running out of control. All the stats and facts contradict that. You send out ICE and masked men, you get your spokesperson out there that knows how to gin everything up. People get upset. And then you say, "See, people are upset." Now, like an arsonist, well, now I got to put out the fire. And then I get to claim credit that I'm providing safety and security across this country. And the great thing is you'll have Laura Ingraham on Fox News say, "Well done, Sir." Why is Laura going to even be more supine? Well, because she's in business with Don Jr., with a guy who's in business with David Sachs on a new SPAC business, Chamath, who's a partner with David Sachs. David Sachs runs all the AI. Laura Ingraham now has a SPAC business.
(23:23)
Imagine what your boss would say if you started to do business with me? That's allowed. And she gets to be their spokesperson on the Pravda Network. Fox, primetime, this great grift, unprecedented in modern history. Billions and billions of dollars. The great grift. State capitalism, not just crony capitalism. Ask Intel, ask MP Materials, ask folks at US Steel, ask the folks at AMD, ask the folks at Nvidia. The hell is going on in this country? None of this is normal. You will be seen on my Patriot site, new knee pads that I'll be sending out. The new signature Siri knee pads for all these CEOs, for the University of Virginia that I'll add to the list today, for bending their knee, for those law firms, the universities, media companies. As this guy's rolling back, rewriting history, putting us back to pre-1960s world, censoring historic facts. Wake up everybody. Wake up. Thank you, guys.