Newsom appears at a Texas rally to celebrate Pro-50’s victory, running into Trump

Gov. Gavin Newsom took the stage to a cheering crowd of Texas Democrats in Houston on Saturday and said the victory of Proposition 50 on Election Day in California was a victory for the nation and a strong rejection of President Trump.

Newsom had the air of a politician running for president at the massive rally, a prospect the California governor says he’s considering — and where he chose it wasn’t.

Newsom accused Trump of pressuring Texas Governor Greg Abbott to redraw the state’s congressional districts to send more Republicans to Congress, an act that spawned California’s Proposition 50. Newsom successfully pushed for a special election on the ballot measure in Texas to block the effort, which was a “Trump effort” by Republicans. 2026 midterm elections.

Cheers erupted from the friendly, Union Hall crowd when Newsom blasted Trump as an “aggressive type” and a “historically unpopular president.”

“On every issue, on the economy, on terrorists, on immigration, on health, [he’s a] “A historically unpopular president, and he knows it, and he knows it,” Newsom said. “Why else did he make that call to your governor? Why else did he feel the need to rig the election before casting a single vote? That’s just weakness, weakness masquerading as strength. This is Donald Trump, and he had a very bad night on Tuesday.

Newsom was the main political force behind Proposition 50, which California voters overwhelmingly approved in Tuesday’s special election. The nationwide ballot measure was an attempt to counter Trump’s push to get Republican-led states, particularly Texas, to redraw their electoral maps to prevent Democrats from taking control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2026 midterms and pushing his agenda. Newsom and California Democrats hope the change will net five additional Democrats in California’s congressional delegation, canceling any gains in Texas.

Newsom thanked Texas Democrats for fighting redistricting efforts in their state, saying it inspired an uprising.

“It’s dawning on people across the United States, what’s at stake,” Newsom told the crowd. “And you put a river in the earth. People appear. I don’t believe in crowns and thrones, not in kings.”

Newsom’s visit to Texas comes as the former San Francisco mayor is openly considering a 2028 run for president. In a recent interview with “CBS News Sunday Morning,” Newsom was asked if he would give “serious thought” to a White House bid after the 2026 midterms.

“Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,” Newsom replied. “I’ll just lie. And I’m not—I can’t do it.”

In July, Newsom flew to South Carolina, a state that traditionally hosts the first southern presidential primary. He said he wants to help his party win back the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. But South Carolina is a staunchly conservative state and doesn’t seem to have a competitive edge.

During that trip, Representative James Claiborne of South Carolina, the highest-ranking black member of Congress and a prominent Democratic kingmaker, told the Times that Newsom would be “a hell of a candidate.” Newsom received similar praise — and encouragement — when he was introduced at a “Take It Back” rally in Houston.

Newsom now heads to Belem, Brazil, where representatives from 200 countries are gathering to kick off the annual United Nations climate policy summit. For Newsom, this is a golden opportunity to appear on the world stage and sell himself and California as the antidote to Trump and his attacks on climate change policy.

The Trump administration this year cut funding for major clean energy projects like California’s Hydrogen Center and moved to rescind the state’s longstanding authority to set stricter vehicle emissions standards than the federal government.