Gavin Newsom takes a jab at Donald Trump over redistricting ‘second-to-last warning' post: 'Lowest polling president'
"DONALD TRUMP, THE LOWEST POLLING PRESIDENT IN RECENT HISTORY, THIS IS YOUR SECOND-TO-LAST WARNING!!! (THE NEXT ONE IS THE LAST ONE!)," Newsom's press office posted on the social platform X. 'STAND DOWN NOW OR CALIFORNIA WILL COUNTER-STRIKE (LEGALLY!) TO DESTROY YOUR ILLEGAL CROOKED MAPS IN RED STATES.'
The post continued, 'PRESS CONFERENCE COMING HOSTED BY AMERICA'S FAVORITE GOVERNOR, GAVIN NEWSOM. FINAL WARNING NEXT. YOU WON'T LIKE IT!!! THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.'
Newsom sarcastically copies hallmarks of Trump's posts
According to The Hill, Trump often uses his Truth Social feed to issue similarly styled missives about policies and to state political grievances. Among the hallmarks of Trump's posts that Newsom sarcastically copied were thanking followers for their "attention to this matter," curious uses of punctuation, capitalization and parenthetical asides, and references to himself as the "favorite" president. Newsom also seemed to mock Trump's waffling warnings and deadlines that led the spread of the "TACO" moniker, short for "Trump Always Chickens Out."
The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment on Newsom's post.
Also Read | Newsom Proposes to Ease Permits for Oil Drilling in California
Newsom, widely viewed as a potential candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, sent a letter to President Trump on Monday, urging him to put a stop to the escalating redistricting back-and-forth triggered by Trump's push for Texas to draw a map more favorable to Republicans.
"This attempt to rig congressional maps to hold onto power before a single vote is cast in the 2026 election is an affront to American democracy," the governor mentioned, The Hill reported.
Newsom also took aim Tuesday at Trump's recent emergency declaration in the nation's capital to allow federal intervention in D.C.'s crime-fighting efforts as well as the president's threats to expand his efforts to other Democrat-led cities.
"President Trump is peddling the same tired lie he used in Los Angeles claiming there's rampant lawlessness in Democratic cities like Washington, D.C.," Newsom said in a news release, highlighting high crime rates in GOP-led states. "His authoritarian orders aren't about safety they're an attack on the very foundation of our nation and a slap in the face to democracy."
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Economic Times
19 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Trump is aiming for Pakistan-style compliance from India, but his plan is not working
Synopsis Amidst rising tensions, the US-India trade relationship faces turbulence as Trump's administration imposes tariffs, allegedly to pressure India on geopolitical issues like Russian oil imports. India views these actions as an infringement on its sovereignty, resisting demands to compromise on agriculture, patent laws and military sourcing. India's refusal to play a compliant role, unlike Pakistan, frustrates Trump. "Trump wants a vessel like Pakistan. India refuses to behave like one." That blunt assessment from Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), captures the essence of the US-India trade saga: it's less about economics than geopolitics. While headlines focus on tariffs and trade deficits, the underlying story is about power, leverage and sovereignty. Speaking to Economic Times, Srivastava explains, "Washington expects compliance, and India is not yielding." Trump, who is set to meet Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Friday at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, has long framed tariffs as a tool to 'fix trade deficits,' but India's case suggests a different motive. On August 7, the US announced it would raise tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 50%, citing Delhi's purchase of Russian oil. India called the move 'unfair' and 'unjustified,' with the new rate set to take effect on August 27. The White House framed the tariffs as a way to cut Russia's energy revenues and pressure Vladimir Putin toward a ceasefire. With this increase, India becomes the most heavily taxed US trading partner in Asia, joining Brazil which faces similar steep tariffs amid tense bilateral relations. The economic stakes for India are high. In 2024, India exported $87 billion worth of goods to the US. According to US Census Bureau data for May 2025, imports from India stood at $9.43 billion, while US exports to India were $3.82 billion, resulting in a US goods trade deficit, or an Indian surplus, of roughly $5.6 billion. If the 50% tariffs remain in place, nearly all of India's annual exports to the US could become commercially unviable. Meanwhile, the US continues to run a $45.7 billion goods trade deficit with India, yet these tariffs disproportionately affect Indian exports compared with goods from other Srivastava, the message is clear: 'Trade deficit is just for the namesake. It's about forcing countries to fall in line with a geopolitical agenda.' India imports roughly 20% of its GDP in goods, spanning petroleum, machinery and electronics, yet Washington appears less concerned with trade imbalances than with pressuring India to compromise on and dairy have emerged as key sticking points in India-US trade talks, which collapsed earlier this month. On August 7, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared, 'India will never compromise on the well-being of its farmers, dairy producers and fishermen.' New Delhi has consistently resisted US pressure to open these sectors, arguing that doing so would threaten millions of small farmers. Historically, India has kept agriculture largely off the table in trade agreements to safeguard domestic to Srivastava, US demands extend far beyond tariffs: opening government procurement, diluting patent laws that could make medicines costlier, limiting future digital taxes, and shifting military sourcing to the US. 'Even if we open agri and dairy, no trade deal will happen with this. Not a trade issue. They want you to open your government procurement, dilute patent laws, commit to never charge digital tax in future, buy military from the US, the list is endless,' he adds, 'Trump imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil partly over politics and partly because Brazil asked Twitter to remove anti-Brazil content. Records show India generates even more such requests, so he could use that as an excuse too. He can conjure unlimited reasons to impose tariffs if he's unhappy. My sense is he doesn't want a partner in India, he wants a vassal. India refuses to play that role; it insists on an equal partnership. That's the basic problem.'The US approach to Russian oil imports is uneven. China, Russia's largest crude buyer, faces no comparable tariff threats, while India is under heavy pressure. 'Even if the US demanded zero imports from Russia, India's imports would fall anyway due to economic circumstances,' notes Srivastava. European and US bans on petroleum products derived from Russian crude are already reducing India's imports, independent of Washington's selective approach reflects a broader pattern in US trade policy. Brazil, for example, faced a 50% tariff despite running a surplus with the US, largely over political disagreements including its stance on Venezuela and former President Bolsonaro. Venezuela itself is under secondary sanctions for buyers of its oil, though some firms, like Chevron, have received exemptions. These cases suggest that political alignment often outweighs economic between Russia and the US has dropped roughly 90% since the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, though last year the US still imported $3 billion worth of Russian goods, according to the US Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the European Union, a partner in sanctions against Russia, imported $41.9 billion (36 billion euros) of Russian goods in 2024, Eurostat data the US pressures India to cut Russian oil imports, market forces and global regulations are already reshaping trade flows. Europe and US bans on petroleum products ensure India's imports will decline regardless of Washington's actions. Srivastava cautions, however, that the US may find new reasons for tariffs, keeping India under continuous has built a buffer against such pressures. Exports constitute roughly 20% of GDP, compared with 90% for Vietnam, a country far more vulnerable to US-imposed shocks. 'Vietnam will suffer more. We will suffer, but we will absorb it properly. Country will bounce back. All we need to do is not to surrender,' Srivastava US consumers will also feel the impact of tariffs. About 90% of prescriptions in the US rely on generics imported from India. While the total trade value may be under $10 billion, disruption affects the majority of prescriptions, potentially raising prices significantly. Companies may eventually source alternatives over three to four months, but the immediate effect is inflationary.'Indian exports will suffer, but we need to consider whether it's better to endure this and use it to push delayed reforms, like diversifying exports, rather than falling into a bad deal. This isn't really about trade; it's about surrendering sovereignty,' Srivastava Srivastava, Trump's broader strategy is political theatre. 'Basically, he wanted to hit China. He couldn't, so he has to show his domestic voters that he is a big man, that a bully can show strength by hitting someone. He couldn't hit China, so let's hit India, that's the only thing.'With China, Trump launched a trade war over the large trade deficit, but Beijing hit back by restricting supplies of critical materials, he noted. 'India hasn't used those levers, which is why Washington expected Delhi to yield immediately.'India's refusal to play a compliant role, unlike Pakistan, frustrates Trump. At the same time, India maintains strategic autonomy, engaging with Russia on defence, limiting deep Chinese investment to marketing and distribution, and managing relations with the US on equal footing. 'We are a big country, big economy, and so we have to have workable, good relations with everyone, without being in anybody's camp,' Srivastava pre-Galwan, Chinese investment has been superficial. 'China doesn't invest in deep manufacturing. They will not supply any technology. They will invest in marketing of cars, garments, two, $5 billion here and there, but we don't want that. So we have to evaluate very carefully,' he says.'We can have targeted strategic relationships, like with Russia for defence, but moving closer to China is complicated. There's the border dispute and a $100 billion trade deficit,' he export-oriented economy, diversified supply chains and robust domestic market allow it to absorb short-term shocks while resisting long-term concessions. 'All we need to do is not enter into any relationship that costs us the medium or long term,' Srivastava takeaway is clear: Trump's tariffs are less about trade and more about leverage. Every tweet, every tariff threat, every demand is a political signal designed to demonstrate strength to domestic voters. 'Every day he abuses us on Twitter. That shows India has entered his mind,' Srivastava response emphasises sovereignty, resilience and strategic foresight. "Trade deal is not a trade deal. It's about bargaining for your sovereignty. And India is not bargaining."
Hans India
19 minutes ago
- Hans India
Temper rhetoric, any misadventure will have painful consequences: India warns Pakistan
New Delhi: India on Thursday slammed Pakistan over its continuous "reckless, war-mongering and hateful comments" against New Delhi, terming it a "well-known modus operandi" of Pakistani leadership to whip up "anti-India" rhetoric to hide its own failures. While addressing a weekly media briefing on Thursday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also warned Pakistan of "painful consequences" in case it engages in any misadventure. "We have seen several statements. We have seen reports regarding a continuing pattern of reckless, war-mongering and hateful comments from Pakistani leadership against India. It is well-known modus operandi of the Pakistani leadership to whip up anti-India rhetoric time and again to hide their own failures. Pakistan would be well-advised to temper its rhetoric, as any misadventure will have painful consequences, as was demonstrated recently," said Jaiswal in response to a question on the recent controversial statements made by Pakistani Army Chief General Asim Munir. The MEA's strong response came after Munir during his recent visit to the United States warned that Pakistan will never allow India to choke the Indus River and will defend its water rights at all costs even if its forces will have to destroy any dam that India sought to build on it. "We will wait for India to build a dam, and when they do so, we will destroy it ... The Indus River is not the Indians' family property. We have no shortage of resources to undo the Indian designs to stop the river," Munir was quoted as saying by leading Pakistani daily Dawn at an event organised by members of the Pakistani-American community in Tampa, Florida, last week. India, which has already made it clear that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail, had earlier reacted strongly to the comments made by Munir. On Monday, Jaiswal stated, "Our attention has been drawn to remarks reportedly made by the Pakistani Chief of Army Staff while on a visit to the United States. Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan's stock-in-trade. The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks, which also reinforce the well-held doubts about the integrity of nuclear command and control in a state where the military is hand-in-glove with terrorist groups." In the statement, MEA also expressed regret that these remarks were made in a friendly third nation. "It is also regrettable that these remarks should have been made from the soil of a friendly third country. India has already made it clear that it will not give in to nuclear blackmail. We will continue to take all steps necessary to safeguard our national security," the MEA statement mentioned. Earlier in April, India had hit out strongly at the Pakistani Army Chief for referring Kashmir as Islamabad's "jugular vein". "See, how can anything foreign be their jugular vein? This is a Union Territory of India. Its only relationship with Pakistan is the vacation of illegally-occupied territories by that country," said Jaiswal during a regular media briefing on April 17.
News18
28 minutes ago
- News18
Trump Vows To ‘Get Ukraine War Stopped' Ahead Of Meeting With Putin In Alaska
Last Updated: US President Trump will meet Russian President Putin in Alaska to discuss ending the Russia-Ukraine war. The summit will be held at a military base. Ahead of his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, US President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to end the Russia-Ukraine war, saying that he inherited this from Joe Biden, but he's going to get it stopped. This will be the first in-person meeting between Trump and Putin since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 'We're going to get it stopped. I inherited this from Joe Biden, but we're going to get it stopped," the US President said. . @POTUS on his 'mindset" ahead of tomorrow's meeting with President Putin: 'We're going to get it stopped. I inherited this from Joe Biden, but we're going to get it stopped." — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 14, 2025 According to CNN, Trump and Putin will hold a joint press conference following their upcoming meeting in Alaska. The much-awaited meeting is scheduled to take place on Friday. During the Alaska summit, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will hold talks over ending the war in Ukraine. Interestingly, the high-stakes meeting will take place at a military base in Alaska that was crucial to countering the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War and still plays a role today, news agency AP reported, citing a White House official. Trump has said that a peace deal might include swapping land between Russia and Ukraine. He also suggested that Zelenskyy and Putin could meet next — or that he might meet with both of them. 'There's a very good chance that we're going to have a second meeting, which will be more productive than the first, because the first is I'm going to find out where we are and what we're doing," AP quoted Trump as saying on Wednesday. 'It's going to be a very important meeting, but it's setting the table for the second meeting," he added. The BBC reports that Putin has stated Russia would agree to a ceasefire if the Ukrainian government withdrew from the four partially Russian-controlled regions — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. He also insisted that Ukraine must formally abandon its bid to join the NATO military alliance, the outlet added. Meanwhile, Zelensky has expressed deep concerns over being excluded from the upcoming summit, warning that any peace deal excluding Kyiv will lead to dead solutions. Officials from Ukraine and Europe fear that the one-on-one meeting they will not take part in could lead to a result favouring Russian goals. view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
