Gavin would fucking LOVE to be arrested. He is practically begging for it. He so much wants to use a 30 minute stay in a jail as his Mandela moment. That isn't leadership. That is opportunism. Just like his poorly-acted profanity-laced screed to Jacob Soboroff begging Trump to arrest him and leave the four-year old girl alone That kind of performance wouldn't cut it at a mid-level Summer Theater on the Cape. It certainly doesn't qualify as a leadership in this day and age.
What a normal, non-opportunistic governor would do is issue some press releases and give a few, non-performative interviews/press conferences. Perhaps actually talk with Trump and try to de-escalate the situation on Sunday. But the last thing Newsom wants is for the situation to be de-escalated. He wants Trump to call in the troops. He wants the media spotlight so that he could look like a fake tough guy.
Newsom isn't going to win shit with this speech -- not in any way that matters. LA will go back to normal, like it always does, and Trump will prattle on about how he saved LA. Then he will rinse and repeat in a bunch of blue states and we will continue to have a few token, high-profile ICE raids that are solely designed to create civil unrest and project an "image" of strength for Trump.
The idea that anyone thinks Newsom doing a 20 minute prime time speech last night is going to do anything -- anything -- to weaken Trump or change his policies in any way is laughable. The one and only function of that speech was to raise Newsom's profile for 2028. That is the only thing it accomplished -- well that and making
@dukeman92 elated because someone is finally standing up to Trump. So, at least there is that.