Gavin Newsom blasts Trump's 'sick and pathetic' Border Patrol raid 'message' to Dems
California Governor Gavin Newsom delivered a scathing rebuke of President Donald Trump on Thursday, following the arrival of Border Patrol agents outside his scheduled press conference in Los Angeles, where reportedly one individual was detained.
Newsom went on to claim that should Trump manage what he described as "rigging this election," the nation would cease to exist as we know it.
Mayor Karen Bass, who arrived at the scene after her office was alerted by a concerned member of the public about the Border Patrol presence, confirmed one person had been taken into custody without a warrant, though this remained unverified at the time. The news comes after a lip reader revealed exactly what Donald Trump and Keir Starmer said to each other on the golf course.
"Well, I think it's pretty sick and pathetic, and it said everything you need to know about the setting that we're under. That they chose the time, manner and place to send their district director outside right when we're about to have this press conference," Newsom told reporters. "It said everything you know about Donald Trump's America, and that was top down, you know that for a fact."
"He did this intentionally to disrespect the governor, to disrespect this iconic museum, and to disrespect our state. Now, why is this helpful to anybody at all? At this point, this doesn't have anything to do with immigration at all. This is about causing trouble in our city," Bass told reporters outside the Japanese American National Museum, where the event occurred, reports the Mirror US.
The White House refused to respond when questioned whether Trump had personally directed Border Patrol agents to target Newsom's gathering. Witnesses supported Bass' allegations about the arrest to the Mirror U.S., claiming they detained an individual without producing a warrant of any sort.
U.S. Customs and Border Patrol did not immediately respond to the Mirror U.S.'s request for comment on the matter.
Newsom's press conference was designed to unveil a proposed mid-decade congressional redistricting initiative in reaction to Texas's planned redistricting, which was launched at Trump's urging.
Newsom announced the state will stage a Nov. 4 special election to seek voter backing of fresh congressional maps and attempt to secure Democrats an estimated five extra seats in the House of Representatives. Surrounded by numerous national and state-level Democratic figures, including Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, Newsom declared the state would abandon the redistricting if the various GOP-controlled states retreat from their schemes.
"We gotta win, I mean democracy is counting on us, the founding fathers did not live and die to see this moment. There's just too much at stake, and we can roll over and say 'boy, maybe if we don't, maybe they won't continue this process beyond Texas, ' you know, for a fact they will," Newsom said. "At least California can push back and neutralize Texas."
California stands among the handful of states boasting an independent redistricting commission that redraws congressional boundaries every decade.
Newsom, alongside fellow Democratic lawmakers and campaigners present on Thursday, condemned gerrymandering as a matter of principle yet ultimately acknowledged it was essential to thwart Republican attempts to maintain their slender House majority.
"We can't stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country," Newsom said.
California legislators must formally announce the special election, which they intend to do next week following a vote on the fresh maps.
Newsom and other key figures within the state legislature claim they possess the necessary votes to achieve this.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
40 minutes ago
- Reuters
India's Modi vows to protect farmers, cuts tax, pushes self-reliance amid Trump tariff tensions
NEW DELHI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged the country on Friday to move towards more self-reliance, manufacture everything from fertilisers to jet engines and EV batteries, and vowed to protect farmers in the face of a trade conflict with Washington. With the punishing tariffs imposed on Indian exports by U.S. President Donald Trump expected to hurt growth in the world's fastest growing major economy, Modi announced lower goods and services taxes (GST) from October - a move that could help boost consumption. He also announced India would set up a new defence system called 'Sudarshan Chakra' in the aftermath of India's four-day military conflict with Pakistan in May. He did not elaborate but a government statement said the system is aimed at neutralising enemy infiltrations and enhancing India's offensive capabilities. Indian defence and policy circles have informally referred to the Russian S-400 air defence system - which played a key role during the fighting with Pakistan - as Sudarshan Chakra, after a Hindu mythological weapon. Modi was addressing the nation on the occasion of its Independence Day at a time New Delhi has been struggling with Trump's tariffs and the collapse of trade talks, largely due to differences over imports of American farm and dairy products. "Farmers, fishermen, cattle rearers are our top priorities," Modi said in his customary annual address from the ramparts of the Red Fort in New Delhi. "Modi will stand like a wall against any policy that threatens their interests. India will never compromise when it comes to protecting the interests of our farmers," he said. Modi did not mention the tariffs or the U.S. in his speech that lasted nearly two hours. Last week, Trump imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil in a move that sharply escalated tensions between the two nations. The new import tax will raise duties on some Indian exports to as high as 50% - among the highest levied on any U.S. trading partner. Modi has never spoken about the tariffs directly, only alluding to them in a speech last week, where he swore to protect the interests of farmers, even if it came at a personal price. Farmers are a key political constituency in India and they violently protested against Modi's last big push to reform the sector, forcing him to repeal three farm laws in 2021 in what was a rare defeat for him. Although local manufacturing and self-reliance have been Modi's key focus areas for years now, the push is seen to have gained urgency amid ongoing global trade tensions and supply chain disruptions. "The need of the hour is to take a resolve for building a strong India ... I want our traders, shopkeepers to display boards for 'Swadeshi' products," Modi said, using the Hindi word for made in India goods. He said made in India semiconductor chips would hit the market by the end of this year and that India was pushing for self-reliance in producing critical minerals with exploration underway at more than 1,200 locations. Trump's tariffs threaten to disrupt India's access to its largest export market, where shipments totalled nearly $87 billion in 2024, hitting sectors like textiles, footwear, shrimp, gems and jewellery. In retaliation, some supporters of Modi have sought to stoke anti-American sentiment and called for a boycott of U.S. companies such as McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Amazon and Apple. Trade talks between New Delhi and Washington collapsed after five rounds of negotiations over disagreement on opening India's vast farm and dairy sectors and stopping Russian oil purchases. Modi's promise to cut GST by October's Diwali festival, which encompasses one of India's biggest shopping seasons, follows previous commitments to overhaul it by reducing the number of rate brackets under the 2017 tax regime. A group of ministers have been preparing a report that will consider merging tax slabs and lowering rates on some products. In February, India cut personal income tax for some individuals to boost spending. Earlier this month, the central bank kept interest rates steady, following a 100 basis point cut this year so far. The government has proposed to the ministers' panel that it recommend reducing taxes on mass use items as well as on goods used by women, students and farmers to boost consumption and enhance affordability, the finance ministry said in an X post. The government will move towards making GST a simple tax with two rate slabs, one standard and another merit, it said. Special rates will be applicable only for a few select items.
Daily Mail
40 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Putin comes to America: Russian leader heads to Pacific Coast in heavily armoured limo before jetting to Alaska for historic meeting with Trump
Russian President Vladimir Putin has been spotted travelling to the Pacific Coast in an armoured limo ahead of his highly anticipated summit with Donald Trump in Alaska, with a massive convoy sweeping through sealed-off roads. Footage shows a long line of black vehicles speeding along a road, flanked by flashing police cars and trailed by what appears to be an ambulance. The tight security comes as Putin prepares to sit down with Trump on Friday for their first face-to-face meeting since 2018. The talks, set against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, are expected to focus on finding a path toward a ceasefire. Trump extended the invitation at the Russian leader's suggestion, but the US president has since been defensive and warned that the meeting could be over within minutes if Putin does not compromise. Every word and gesture will be closely watched by European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was not included and has publicly refused pressure from Trump to surrender territory seized by Russia. Trump, usually fond of boasting of his deal-making skills, has called the summit a 'feel-out meeting' to test Putin, whom he last saw in 2019. 'I am president, and he's not going to mess around with me,' Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. Roads were sealed off as Vladimir Putin made his way to the Pacific Coast 'If it's a bad meeting, it'll end very quickly, and if it's a good meeting, we're going to end up getting peace in the pretty near future,' said Trump, who gave the summit a one in four chance of failure. Trump has promised to consult with European leaders and Zelensky, saying that any final agreement would come in a three-way meeting with Trump and the Ukrainian president to 'divvy up' territory. Trump has voiced admiration for Putin in the past and faced some of the most intense criticism of his political career after a 2018 summit in which he appeared cowed and accepted Putin's denials of US intelligence findings that Russia interfered in the 2016 US election. Before his return to the White House, Trump boasted of his relationship with Putin, blamed predecessor Joe Biden for the war and vowed to bring peace within 24 hours. But despite repeated calls to Putin, and a stunning February 28 White House meeting in which Trump publicly berated Zelensky, the Russian leader has shown no signs of compromise. Trump has acknowledged his frustration with Putin and warned of 'very severe consequences' if he does not accept a ceasefire - but also agreed to see him in Alaska. The talks are set to begin at 11:30 am (1900 GMT) Friday at the Elmendorf Air Force Base, the largest US military installation in Alaska and a Cold War base for surveillance of the Soviet Union. Adding to the historical significance, the United States bought Alaska in 1867 from Russia - a deal Moscow has cited to show the legitimacy of land swaps. The Kremlin said it expected Putin and Trump to meet alone with interpreters before a working lunch with aides. Neither leader is expected to step off the base into Alaska's largest city of Anchorage, where protesters have put up signs of solidarity with Ukraine. Putin faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, leading him to curtail travel sharply since the war. But the United States is not party to the Hague tribunal, and Trump's Treasury Department temporarily eased sanctions on top Russian officials to allow them to travel and use bank cards in Alaska. The summit comes amid escalating military activity in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the Donetsk region, where Russian forces have launched a rapid offensive. Zelensky has firmly rejected any agreement that involves giving up more territory, citing constitutional and security concerns. President Trump has indicated that any potential peace deal may involve territorial adjustments, suggesting 'some swapping' of territories.
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Chinese economy slows as Trump tariffs bite; FTSE 100 on track to hit new record
Update: Date: 2025-08-15T06:46:54.000Z Title: Introduction: Chinese economy slows as Trump tariffs bite Content: Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of business, the financial markets and the world economy. New data suggest the Chinese economy slowed in July, as Donald Trump's trade war began to bite at the second biggest economy in the world. Figures coming out of Beijing last night showed that Chinese industrial production rose at the slowest rate since November and expanded by 5.7% compared with the same point last year, worse than an expected 6%. Meanwhile Chinese retail sales grew by 3.7% year-on-year in July, its slowest pace so far this year and down from 4.8% the previous month. Yuhan Zhang, principal economist at The Conference Board's China Center, said: Firms may be running on existing capacity rather than building new plants…The July industrial value-add breakdown tells a more nuanced story than the weak fixed asset investment headline. He pointed to China's automobile manufacturing, railway, shipbuilding, aerospace and other transport equipment industries as 'outliers (that) indicate policy-driven, high-tech and strategic sectors are still attracting substantial capital.' The Chinese CSI 300 stock index rose 0.8% after the release of the economic data, as it fed speculation that Beijing could introduce fresh stimulus in the market. Meanwhile in the UK, the FTSE 100 blue chip share index is set to end the week at a new record high. It is poised to rise by 0.5% when the market opens at 8:00AM, led by gains in the finance and defence sectors. The defence sector has been one of the best performers in London's stock market, thanks to a wave of rearmament across much of Europe in the wake of the war in Ukraine. All eyes will be on Alaska later today, when Vladimir Putin is set to meet Donald Trump. The US president has said he believes the Russian leader is ready to make a deal on the Ukraine war. 8.00pm BST: Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin meet in Alaska
