Politics

Newsom Mocks Trump as Democrats Dominate Election Night

By Jake Beardslee · November 6, 2025

Gavin Newsom speaks to press at Proposition 3 press conference in 2024. Caassemblyedits, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

California Governor Gavin Newsom is touting a decisive 27-point victory in his state’s latest ballot initiative — and taking a jab at Donald Trump in the process.

“Tonight the American people…are writing a comeback story,” Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) posted on X on Election Night. “We are standing up to Trump’s cruelty and corruption.” Swalwell said the “blue wave” was led by California’s overwhelming support for Proposition 50, officially called the “Election Rigging Response Act,” which counters Trump’s redistricting efforts in Republican-led states such as Texas.

California Leads a Blue Wave

Newsom’s campaign for Prop 50 became a centerpiece of Democratic success nationwide, alongside gubernatorial victories in New Jersey and Virginia and an unexpected win by New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. The California measure, which prevents partisan manipulation of congressional maps, passed by a commanding 63.8% to 36.2% margin — a 27-point landslide despite intense opposition from wealthy conservative donors such as physicist and Berkshire Hathaway heir Charles Munger Jr.

Defying Trump’s Narrative

The win reinforced Newsom’s national image as Trump’s most outspoken critic and bolstered speculation about a 2028 presidential run. By securing the vote through California’s direct democracy system — in contrast to Texas, where Gov. Greg Abbott advanced redistricting measures through the legislature without public approval — Newsom demonstrated broad grassroots support. “Red states all across the country are bending the knee to Donald Trump, helping him rig the 2026 election,” Newsom warned ahead of the vote.

A Referendum on Trump

Many Democrats framed the election as a nationwide referendum on Trump’s polarizing leadership. In New Jersey, Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill defeated Trump-backed Republican Jack Ciattarelli by 56.2% to 43.2%, while Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger trounced Winsome Earle-Sears by nearly 15 points. The contrast was striking against Trump’s narrow 2024 presidential victory over Kamala Harris, which he and GOP allies had touted as a “mandate,” despite winning only 49.8% to 48.3%.

Turning Trump’s Words Against Him

After the results, Newsom mocked Trump by co-opting his signature campaign slogan, declaring that Democrats had, in fact, succeeded in “making America great again.” The rhetorical swipe underscored how Democrats view the recent results as a sign of momentum heading into the next election cycle.