California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused President Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security of attempting to spark a civil war as Democrats escalated rhetoric opposing the enforcement of federal immigration law in Minnesota. “He’s trying to stoke a Civil War in this country,” Newsom told reporters.
“It’s a disgrace what he’s doing in Minneapolis,” he said. “It’s a disgrace what his DHS is putting out. Very intentionally stoking tensions. White supremacy being promoted. None of this is normal and it cannot be normalized.”
Newsom did not explain how the enforcement of federal immigration law promotes white supremacy, nor how deporting people who are in the country illegally is akin to creating warlike conditions.
Roughly 700,000 Americans, including a sitting president, were killed during the U.S. Civil War, a toll that would be equivalent to millions of deaths when adjusted for the nation’s current population.
Newsom’s obviously inflammatory remarks came as Democrats across several states intensified public opposition to Trump’s immigration enforcement actions, particularly in Democrat-controlled jurisdictions.
Newsom, who is widely expected to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, has increasingly aligned his messaging with extreme left-wing pro-migration activists within the party.
His remarks followed a wave of statements from Democratic officials warning of unrest and alleged abuses tied to federal immigration operations.
In Minnesota, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Thursday that Gov. Tim Walz may have been aware of, or complicit in, alleged fraud connected to immigration-related programs.
“We believe that he didn’t just know about it, that he may be complicit in it as well,” Noem said.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker echoed similar rhetoric after a journalist described Trump’s enforcement actions as an “invasion,” responding, “That’s exactly right, I think you’ve characterized it exactly properly.”
Pritzker is also considered a potential 2028 presidential contender.
On Friday, Democratic lawmakers held a hearing in Minnesota titled “Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Deadly Assault on Minnesota,” led by Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Pramila Jayapal of Washington.
“This is the behavior of a paramilitary force operating outside the bounds of law,” Omar said, alleging that individuals had been shoved into traffic during immigration enforcement actions.
