Vic MacDonald-Editor
An early leader to be nominated for President of the United States by the Democrats in 2028, California Gov. Gavin Newsom spent 2 hours in Laurens today (July 9) as part of an effort by SC Democrats to show that all states can be in play for the 2026 Congressional mid-term elections and the 2028 Presidential election.
Newsom said just before he left California the southern area of the state celebrated an anniversary of the end of devastating and deadly wildfires, and he expected President Donald Trump to at least send a message of congratulations and cooperation, especially in light of deadly flash flooding in Texas. Instead, Newsom said, the Trump administration activated soliders to guard masked immigration officers raiding homes, businesses and schools, and this week has soliders and tanks march and roll through Los Angeles’ McArthur Park.
“Not one single arrest,” Newsom said, “but it was never about arrests, it was about fear.
“Only in the polluted mind of Donald Trump would you put on a display like that.”
Newsom said certain segments of the American population are fearful now because “they are being hunted – in Trump’s America.” One of California’s largest churches is telling people not to come to church, Newsom said, because of fear that the congregants will be rounded up in immigration enforcement.
But, there is resistance.
He pointed out that 5 Million people marched in No Kings rallies on Trump’s birthday, and said July 9 was another birthday – that of SC Senior U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham – “who sold out your state’s rural hospitals for 5 Trillion dollars.”
“A tax cut for billionaires that most of them didn’t even ask for.”
Newsom said, “The rule of law is being replaced by the rule of Trump.” He said current Americans cannot rely on what generations of Americans have relied on, and what the Founding Fathers put into place – three co-equal branches of government.
“Right now, this is a very different president. I’ve never felt more alarmed.”
However, Newsom did not leave his message on gloom. He activated the capacity crowd in St. Paul Baptist Church to exert their “moral authority” – “This moment is a profound one. This moment requires all of us.”
Newsom expressed a sense of “optimism and hope” as Americans come to realize that, in the words of former Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis, “The most important office is the Office of Citizen.”
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COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Democratic Party (SCDP) is hitting the road in rural South Carolina. Next week, the Party kicks off a multi-county On-The-Road series with California Governor Gavin Newsom to connect directly with communities that have too often been overlooked by Republicans in power — and too often left to recover alone from economic setbacks and natural disasters.
Governor Newsom will visit some of the most economically challenged and environmentally vulnerable rural counties in South Carolina, including Marion, Chesterfield, Marlboro, Laurens, Pickens, Oconee, Kershaw, and Florence.
“Governor Newsom leads the largest economy in America and the fourth largest in the world, and he’s coming to meet folks in towns that have been hollowed out by decades of Republican control,” said SCDP Chair Christale Spain. “This is about building partnerships, uplifting communities, and showing rural voters they aren’t forgotten.”
Many of the counties Governor Newsom is visiting have experienced serious hardship, from job loss and disinvestment to climate-related disasters like wildfires and Hurricanes. When coupled with lack of investment and attention from our state’s Republican leaders, rural South Carolina gets left behind. Despite holding every statewide office and controlling the legislature for decades, South Carolina Republicans have failed to build a resilient, inclusive economy that works for everyone.
As Governor of the nation’s most populous state, Newsom has delivered real results for working families in rural communities — launching the largest state tax refund in American history, raising the minimum wage, expanding paid family leave, and making two years of community college tuition-free, including career and technical education. He has also established a year of free pre-school for every child (universal transitional kindergarten), provided every public school student with two free meals a day, and expanded access to health care to more low-income residents than ever before. His record shows what’s possible when leaders invest in working families.
On the Road with Governor Newsom demonstrates the South Carolina Democratic Party’s focus on grassroots organizing, local empowerment, and building long-term political infrastructure in every corner of the state.
“Our strategy isn’t about chasing cable news coverage, it’s about showing up and building trust, town by town, county by county, that is our path back to power” said Spain. “We’re proud of the gains we are making but we’re even more focused on what’s ahead.”