A cadre of blue-state governors is already making ready a litany of political and authorized strikes to protect their states’ insurance policies and residents from federal actions beneath Donald Trump’s new administration.
The plans from Democratic governors throughout the nation — together with a handful of potential 2028 presidential contenders — supply each a repeat of how leaders of liberal states pushed again towards Trump throughout his first time period, in addition to a snapshot of what the resistance to him from the left will appear to be this time round.
In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced Thursday that he would convene a particular session of the Legislature explicitly meant to “safeguard California values and basic rights within the face of an incoming Trump administration.”
In a information launch, he stated the session would focus “on bolstering California authorized assets to guard civil rights, reproductive freedom, local weather motion, and immigrant households.”
Newsom outlined that the session, set to kick off Dec. 2, will take “expedited motion” to “greatest shield California and its values from assaults” on LGBTQ rights and ladies’s rights. He additionally stated it might “present further assets” to the state’s Justice Department and different businesses to “pursue sturdy affirmative litigation” towards future potential illegal actions by the Trump administration, in addition to to defend towards any federal lawsuits from the administration that could possibly be filed.
He added that the session can be the “first of a number of actions” by his administration and the Legislature to start “shoring up California’s defenses towards an incoming federal administration that has threatened the state on a number of fronts.”
“The freedoms we maintain expensive in California are beneath assault — and we received’t sit idle. California has confronted this problem earlier than, and we all know the way to reply,” Newsom stated in an announcement. “We are ready, and we’ll do all the things crucial to make sure Californians have the help and assets they should thrive.”
Newsom’s workplace instructed The Associated Press that the governor was making an attempt to “Trump-proof” the state’s legal guidelines.
Trump hit again at Newsom in a prolonged put up on Truth Social on Friday, referring to him as “Governor Gavin Newscum” and saying he was “utilizing the time period ‘Trump-Proof’ as a method of stopping the entire GREAT issues that may be completed to ‘Make California Great Again.’”
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who like Newsom is taken into account to be among the many Democrats within the 2028 combine, echoed lots of the identical themes throughout a press convention this week.
“To anybody who intends to return, take away the liberty and alternative and dignity of Illinoisans, I’d remind you {that a} glad warrior remains to be a warrior,” he stated Thursday. “You come for my folks, you come by way of me.”
Pritzker, whose Think Big America nonprofit group spent thousands and thousands of {dollars} on abortion-rights poll measures in 4 states this cycle, known as Illinois “a refuge for these whose rights are being denied elsewhere,” together with these searching for political asylum, reproductive well being care or to keep away from persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender.
He nodded to insurance policies his administration has enacted, together with codifying abortion rights and a legislation requiring gender-affirming care to be lined by well being insurers in Illinois.
Efforts Trump-proof Illinois have been ongoing for months, if not longer, stated Pritzker chief of workers Anne Caprara.
She stated the state is trying into different authorized protections for girls who journey to the state to entry reproductive care, together with defending transponder information and medical data from out-of-state attorneys basic.
The state additionally has been working to codify environmental rules in case a Trump administration tries to roll again clear air and water protections, in addition to guaranteeing labor protections are maintained.
“We’re actually going by way of Project 2025 to know each component of what they could contact. Some of this work has been completed or within the course of for some time,” Caprara stated.
She additionally stated collaborative efforts involving different Midwestern states are within the works.
“Midwest governors who ruled by way of Covid with Trump on the helm — it obtained bushy then — we’ve been by way of this earlier than and are decided this time to attract in these classes and guarantee that to the diploma it is smart we’re collaborating on greatest practices and the way to creatively cope with the harder items of this,” Caprara sais. “Those relationships the governors at massive on the Democratic aspect of the aisle have been key all alongside in navigating these years of Trump.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul additionally introduced an effort this week — dubbed the “Empire State Freedom Initiative” — she stated was designed to deal with “coverage and regulatory” threats that might occur throughout Trump’s administration.
The effort, being carried out along with the workplace of New York’s Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, will deal with federal authorized “threats” to reproductive freedom, immigration points, civil rights, gun security, local weather change progress, environmental justice and different points, they stated in a joint announcement this week.
“I’m dedicated to working with anybody on insurance policies that make our state stronger, safer and extra livable — however my administration may also be ready to guard New Yorkers’ basic freedoms from any potential threats,” Hochul stated in an announcement Wednesday.
She stated within the assertion that officers main the hassle within the state had already developed an preliminary evaluation of “seemingly” statutory, regulatory and financial “vulnerabilities” based mostly on feedback and coverage proposals from Trump and his staff, and had begun creating laws, guidelines and appropriations that may serve to counter such federal actions.
In addition, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey stated on MSNBC on Wednesday that she would use “each device within the toolbox” to “shield our residents” and to “maintain the road on democracy and the rule of legislation.”
Healey, who because the state’s lawyer basic throughout Trump’s first time period challenged his administration a number of instances on immigration insurance policies, stated she’d train her government and regulatory authority, and make use of laws within the state to combat varied Trump insurance policies.
Specifically requested about Trump’s plan to implement mass deportations of undocumented immigrants, Healey stated she would “completely not” permit state police to help in such an effort.
Asked about Democratic governors’ response to Trump’s return to the White House, Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated in an announcement: “The American folks re-elected President Trump by a powerful margin giving him a mandate to implement the guarantees he made on the marketing campaign path. He will ship.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, one other doable 2028 contender, referred to an announcement he launched Thursday in response to Trump’s victory that centered closely on unity when requested whether or not related efforts have been underway within the state.
“Now that this election is over, it’s time to govern — to work collectively, to compromise, and to get stuff completed,” Shapiro stated in that assertion. “I consider there’s extra that unites us than divides us — and we should work collectively to proceed to get stuff completed for Pennsylvania.
Unlike within the deep-blue states of California, New York and Massachusetts, the place Democrats take pleasure in a trifecta of energy throughout state authorities, the Legislature in battleground Pennsylvania is cut up, which might make plans to counter Trump harder. Plus, Trump simply carried the state on the presidential degree.
“Let me additionally clarify: I’ll by no means again down from standing up for the freedoms I used to be elected to guard. I’ll proceed to defend our democracy, defend our basic rights, and guarantee we proceed the legacy of William Penn by constructing a Commonwealth that’s heat and welcoming for all,” Shapiro added.
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy pledged to each push again towards Trump when crucial, whereas additionally searching for out areas for compromise.
“If it’s opposite to our values, we’ll combat to the loss of life,” Murphy stated at a Wednesday press convention, mentioning points akin to immigration and reproductive rights.
“If there’s a possibility for widespread floor, we’ll seize that as quick as anyone,” he added.