Is Gavin Newsom the future of the Democratic Party or just a flash in the pan?

Trump seems to have finally found a worthy opponent: California governor Gavin Newsom isn’t hesitating to confront him head-on, calling him “unhinged” and also accusing him of behaving like a dictator.

Trump is ‘not all there,’ Newsom says amid Los Angeles fight.

— Politico (@politico.com) 2025-06-12T14:59:33.682Z

While the two men clash in court, the governor of California has sued the Trump administration for deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles without the state’s consent.

The complaint filed by the governor denounces a violation of the US Constitution, accuses Trump of abuse of power for political purposes in connection with the anti-ICE protests, and asks the court to block the operation while reaffirming states’ rights in the face of federal interference.

But the confrontation is also being played out in the media and on social networks, where Gavin Newsom openly criticizes Trump and his policies, which he compares to those of authoritarian regimes.

The governor condemns the deployment of the Marines on American soil, the threats of arrest against him and the mayor of Los Angeles.

Newsom accused the president of deliberately manufacturing the crisis in Los Angeles and called his threats of arrest “the actions of a dictator”.

He also asserted that he would “stand firm” in the face of Trump’s actions, embodying a resistance that many expect from Democratic elected officials in the face of the Trump administration, while the president asserts for his part that Newsom should thank him for sending the National Guard to Los Angeles as backup.

Since these events, the right-wing and several MAGA media outlets seem to be lashing out at Gavin Newsom, who is striking back blow for blow. The question now arises:

Is Gavin Newsom the future of the Democratic Party, or just a flash in the pan?