If Newsom Wants the White House, He Needs to Show Up in the Streets

[GigiLeigh]

https://newsfromunderground.substack.com/p/if-newsom-wants-the-white-house-he

If Newsom wants to lead a nation, he should start by walking into the crowd downtown. Face the people. Let the cameras roll. Dare them to arrest you. At this moment, that’s not political theater—it’s leadership the people are craving.

Snip

Gavin Newsom doesn’t need another interview or press release. He needs a moment.

Imagine the governor of California—surrounded by National Guard troops and riot police—walking into a crowd of peaceful protesters holding an American flag. Not flanked by aides. Not behind a podium. There with the people. Present. Daring the system to turn its power on him the way it has on so many others.

That kind of act wouldn’t just make headlines—it would send a shockwave through the political landscape. It would show voters that Newsom understands what this moment demands: not calculation, but courage. Not spin, but solidarity.
Here’s the truth—his 2028 hopes have lost steam. The base isn’t inspired by slick media appearances or performative sparring sessions. They want someone who shows up. Someone who’s willing to bleed, metaphorically or otherwise, for the people they claim to lead.

This is Newsom’s state—and Trump is invading it. These are his people. And if he wants to lead a nation, this is the test. Walk into the crowd. Face the cameras. Dare them to arrest you.

That’s not political theater. That’s how presidents are born.

[Silent Type]

1. +1. He needs to stand in front of protesters and say they are not helping. But he won't.

[Hekate]

5. How are the protestors not helping? I need to know before I show up for No Kings Day.

[Skittles]

6. he is "the silent type"

[Silent Type]

9. Because more migrants will be deported. It's not helping the people we supposedly care about.

[Hekate]

18. Why will "more migrants" be deported because of us? Stephen Miller's daily quota is already 3,000

By the way, Rachel Maddow does a sterling job of reporting how much effect Indivisible and others are having. She’s on tonight at 6:00 pm Pacific/9:00 pm Eastern — get back to me.

[Skittles]

8. right, we need to BEHAVE while fascism takes over

[Silent Type]

11. Don't need to make things worse for migrants, supposedly the ones we care about.

[Skittles]

14. protesting fascism is ESSENTIAL

this is about DEMOCRACY FOR ALL, not just MIGRANTS

[Silent Type]

16. Protecting migrants is what is important to me. This hurts them.

[Skittles]

19. HISTORY SHOWS OTHERWISE

*OVER AND OUT*

[Silent Type]

21. Disagree, in this case. Migrants are in a worse position.

Would you like to bet on whether trump’s approval tanks, rating stays the same, or increases? I’ll take latter.

[Hekate]

20. You've obviously got your opinions & are sticking to them. But facts are stubborn things too.

Trump & enablers are hell-bent on violence, and they refuse to be diverted. Any ideas?

Oh, and watch Rachel Maddow tonight on MSNBC — she’ll be covering the effect the protest movement is having, as she always does.

[Silent Type]

24. Yeah, I'm a 50501 type protester, not one that plays into trump and his henchmen's plan.

Would you like to bet on whether trump’s approval tanks, rating stays the same or increases? I’ll take latter.

[Torchlight]

26. I don't see any evidence that it is in fact, making anything worse than it is.

trump's agenda is in play regardless of the behavior of protestors. They could sing kumbayah or strap on heavy weapons, either way, trump is going tp dp what he's ging to do... with or without editorials.

[Cirsium]

34. What?

Supposedly the ones we care about??

So, don't resist authoritarianism because that causes authoritarianism?

The right wingers sure have people cowed.

[msongs]

2. the world is full of needs, people telling other people what to do. like..republicans do nt

[Kaleva]

3. I'm not going so I won't be telling others what to do.

[bucolic_frolic]

4. Nice how America expects instant solutions.

Newsom came a long way today. He'll be sure of the ground he stands on before he acts.

[BannonsLiver]

7. He's doing just fine.

[DinahMoeHum]

10. Dead martyrs don't make good POTUS candidates. . .

. . .just sayin'. . .

[Hekate]

12. My gov. has already dared Homan to come get him & to keep his hands off 4 year old girls

For 15 minutes of your time, you can hear it here


"Tom, arrest me. Let's go." Gov. Gavin Newsom responds to Trump border czar's threat.

https://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/gov-newsom-tells-president-trump-to-stand-down-amid-l-a-protests-241152581707

[Basso8vb]

13. Continuing to pile on Newsom just like MAGA wants us to do.

[Hekate]

22. Oh, you noticed that too? It's seriously tiring.

[BannonsLiver]

27. He dared to say something out loud more than 70 percent of Dems agree with a few months ago.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

30. I dislike Newsom for a lot of reasons that MAGA doesn't.

Primary among them is his move to the center. Is that MAGA convincing me he's not left enough for me? Because they all seem to think he's a commie.

[IcyPeas]

15. Newsom PLUS every other democratic governor and congress person.

[madville]

17. Doesn't make any sense

He’s supposed to surround himself with the very riot police and guardsmen that the protesters are sparring with and go mingle with the protesters? That won’t work out well lol.

Newsom isn’t going anywhere near those protests. I could see maybe a coordinated press conference with some of the protest “leaders”. He doesn’t have that dog in him to go into an uncontrolled crowd of regular people like that.

[maxsolomon]

23. "That's how presidents are born"?

Name one who was "born" that by joining a protest crowd, Evan Fields. It wasn't Obama.

[ITAL]

32. That's kind of what I was thinking

I can't think of a single instance where someone who led a massive protest used that to catapult their way to the White House. I mean....maybe George Washington since he led the revolutionary army, but that's all I got.

[SocialDemocrat61]

25. I love these armchair strategists

who never ran a campaign or even for an elected official. Like they have any credibility.

[Pris]

28. Let's create pathways fro women to be president

We are a failing democracy partly because of low numbers of women in elected office,
Let's change that:

Where is Governor Whitmer who changed her states legislature from red to blue? She needs to be speaking. President hopefuls need moments. This is her moment.

Where is Senator Klobuchar who keeps getting reelected in a needed swing state. She needs to be speaking. President hopefuls need moments. This is her moment.

[ancianita]

29. Nope, not really how presidents are born. No matter what he does, if he runs he's got mine & the Democratic Party vote.

Gov Newsom has run the 5th largest economy on planet Earth for how many years now? He'll do for America what he's done for the country of California.

Personally, I'm hoping to vote for a Newsom-Pritzker ticket.

[flashman13]

31. For what it's worth, I have been thinking along these lines for several days.

My thoughts have also leaned toward, where are our congress people? Say you want our votes? You want your seat? You want to be a leader? Then get out there and lead.

And public personages need to start stepping up as well.

June 14

[elleng]

33. Who says Newscom is interested in the Presidency?

Maybe he's just interested in serving as Cal Governor.

[Polybius]

35. Can't tell if that's sarcasm or not