Newsom’s Threats

by Brent E. Zepke, Esq.

The “Newsom” refers to Governor of California Gavin Newsom.

To” threaten” means someone implies or says he’ll take hostile action against someone in retribution for something done or not done.

Who is Governor Newsom threatening?

Governor Newsom’s Letter to President Trump

Governor Newsom’s letter, dated August 11, 2025, to President Trump is as follows:

“I am writing to ask you to call on the governor of Texas and other red states, who are acting on your request to draw new congressional maps through an unprecedented, mid-decade hyper-partisan gerrymander to rig the upcoming midterm elections, to stop those efforts. (emphasis added)

“You are playing with fire, risking the destabilization of our democracy, while knowing that California can neutralize any gains you hope to make. This attempt to rig congressional maps to hold onto power before a single vote is cast in the 2026 election is an affront to American democracy.” (emphasis added)

“This is not what the Founders envisioned, and California cannot stand idly by as this power grab unfolds. I do not do this lightly, as I believe legislative district maps should be drawn by independent, citizen-led efforts, as we have done in California for the last two decades.

“If you will not stand down, I will be forced to lead an effort to redraw the maps in California to offset the rigging in red states. But if the other states call off their redistricting efforts, we will happily do the same.” (emphasis added)

Gerrymander

The term “gerrymander” means to manipulate political boundaries to favor one political party, named for Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry’s infamous construction – in 1812 – of a congressional district so convoluted it resembled a salamander, hence a Gerry-mander.

Re-districting, if done fairly, should reflect the percentage of congressional representatives of a political party based upon the percentage of votes cast for that party.

In the 2024 election the percentages of Republicans elected to the U.S. House of Representatives was much closer in Red (Republican) states to the percentages of votes received than it was in Blue (Democrat) states.

Here are a few examples;

Red States % voted Republican % Republican Representatives

Texas 56% 66%

Florida 56% 71%

Tennessee 64% 77%

Blue States

New York 43% 27%

Illinois 43% 17%

Massachusetts 36% 0

The Democrat-led (Red) states appear to have already committed hyper-partisan gerrymandering to limit the number of Congressional representatives to a much smaller percentage than the percentage of votes Republicans received. For example, Massachusetts went as far as it is possible to go by completely wiping out Congressional representation for the 36% who voted Republican.

What about California?

California

In the 2024 elections, the percentage of votes Republicans received increased by 3% from the 2022 midterms to 38% but the number elected to the U.S. House of Representatives decreased from 11 to 9, or just 17%.

Why?

Gerrymandering

Governor Newsom’s Press Release

At 3:30 PM on August 11, 2025, the same date as his letter to President Trump, Governor Newsom’s Press Office @GovPressOffice released the following and “yes” it was in all caps:

“DONALD TRUMP HAS 24 HOURS LEFT TO RESPOND TO GOVERNOR NEWSOM’S LETTER. IF HE DOES NOT STAND DOWN, THERE WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT PRESS CONFERENCE THIS WEEK WITH A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.”

This press release is more than a little obnoxious.

Giving the president of the United States 24 hours to respond?

Making it a press release?

Posting it the same day as the letter making the request?

In all capital letters?

The use of the expression “stand down” is a rather aggressive choice since it originated in the military to indicate a time to rest and relax while at war. Threatening a “very important press conference?

While the details of the MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT are not specified there are reports that Governor Newsom is already working on a redistricting plan to reduce the number of Republicans in the U.S. House from 9 to 4, or just under 8% despite Republicans having received 38% of the vote in the 2024 election.

Conclusion

Governor Newsom appears to be threatening to destroy the integrity of California’s voting districts, the President of the United States, the states of Texas and other red states, California Republicans, and all Californians who believe in the integrity of California’s elections.

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