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 [ VOICES ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=375)

#  Newsom Fights Back, Aggressively

Written by Tim Deegan on August 25 2025.

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DEEGAN ON LA - “We’re fighting fire with fire, and we’re going to [punch these sons of bitches in the mouth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrXjkzHOffI)” said Governor Gavin Newsom.

“When they go low, we go high,” once pleaded former First Lady Michelle Obama.

There has been “no Democratic moralizing, [no rebuke](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/24/no-holds-barred-fight-californias-governor-takes-off-his-gloves-to-punch-back-at-trump) from party leaders, no pressure on Newsom to apologize”. Permission has been granted to drop the complacency of Michelle’s politeness.

Finally, the kid gloves are off. The boxing gloves are on. Bare-fisted brawling could be the next escalation as the Democrats get onto a war footing. Both within the Democratic Party with newfound energy and on behalf of Democrats squaring off aggressively against POTUS 47 and his Texas political puppets that are re-drawing the congressional map to yield five additional seats simply because 47 says he’s "entitled" to them.

Newsom has a powerful weapon, [Prop 50](https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_50,_Use_of_Legislative_Congressional_Redistricting_Map_Amendment_(2025), that will augment his rhetorical power already aimed at POTUS.

Newsom’s Proposition, to be voted on in a November 4 special election, is designed to add an additional five California Congressional seats to offset the Texas 5, has two salient parts for voters to consider.

One is it’s designed to be activated only if Texas goes through with their plan, that is if the courts do not kill it. The second is that the new boundaries are only interim.

The next official opportunity for redrawing seats will come when the results of the 2030 census are known. That’s the law embedded in Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution, a document fighting for survival.

Some politically powerful California Republicans, like Arnold Schwarzenegger and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, are against it.

But, 71% of Californians under 30 said they are for it, in a [poll](https://escholarship.org/uc/item/9f06d6p8) 72 hours ago by the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies. That’s the demographic cohort that podcasters in the recent election reached to push for 47.

Newsom's own “This Is Gavin Newsom” [podcast](https://open.spotify.com/show/1Volbkd8d5r8IpQ2EWZSC4) and his social media fluency may be able to activate turnout of “young” voters, especially young men, in November.

Men under 30 were a key voting block that ushered 47 into the White House in 2024. They were reached through podcasts and social media devices Newsom is now utilizing.

***(Tim Deegan** is a longtime civic activist and columnist whose Deegan on LA feature has been a staple of CityWatchLA for over a decade. With a focus on Los Angeles city politics and neighborhood issues, Deegan brings thoughtful analysis and grassroots perspective to every column. His work highlights the voices of local communities and the impact of City Hall decisions on everyday Angelenos. He can be reached at **<timdeegan2015@gmail.com>**.)*

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##  [ VOICES ](https://mail.citywatchla.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=375)

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