Newsom tells Americans to ‘wake up' ahead of critical elections

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has a sharp message for Americans as millions gear up to hit the polls in several states Tuesday: "Wake up."

Speaking with NBC’s Kristen Welker on Sunday’s “Meet the Press,” Newsom appeared confident in his party’s ability to win races in places like Virginia and New Jersey, in part because of threats made by the Trump administration to implement “strike teams” across U.S. cities.

Newsom said: “What the hell do we need to tell people to get them off their couch, to say, "Well, hold on, I may have liked his bluster, I may not have liked the last guy, but I didn't sign up for this?’”

According to a Washington Post report of a leaked memo, the National Guard is creating a “quick reaction force” of thousands of troops to be trained in crowd control and civil disturbance, ready to deploy to U.S. cities by early 2026.

President Donald Trump’s attempts to crack down on crime and illegal immigration continue in Democratic-controlled cities and states, including California. Thousands of National Guard troops have been deployed to cities to assist immigration officers in arresting and detaining individuals.

Newsom, who has previously indicated he is considering a White House bid in 2028, accused Trump of assaulting all institutions that stand in his way.

The California governor this month joined a pending lawsuit filed by Oregon leaders, asking a U.S. district judge to block the president’s effort to deploy California troops to Portland. California’s attorney general has already warned that he will sue the Trump administration if the president follows through on threats to send the National Guard to San Francisco.

But Newsom on Sunday told Welker that he doesn’t trust Trump's Department of Justice to handle the cases.

“Are you kidding?” Newsom said when Welker asked if he had faith in the DOJ. “I have confidence in the lower courts, and I'm holding hope that there's one co-equal branch of government left, and that's the judiciary.”