Newsom takes friendlier tack with Trump in sign of new political reality

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is taking a friendlier approach to President Trump as he adjusts to the new political realities of governing amid a GOP-dominated Washington.

This week Newsom traveled to Washington to lobby Trump for disaster aid following last month’s catastrophic wildfires in Southern California. Newsom’s tone and approach to Trump was notably more conciliatory compared to his past rhetoric toward the president, with the governor dubbing his relationship with Trump as “one of the more interesting relationships in politics” during a CNN interview on Thursday.

The apparent change in approach comes as Newsom finds himself in a different position than years prior, with Trump and Republicans having made inroads in California last November and Democrats facing backlash for their handling of the wildfires last month.

“It probably serves him well politically in the state,” said Rob Stutzman, a California political consultant who was an aide to former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). “Except for extreme partisans, I don’t think anyone has much appetite for fire recovery being a political issue.”

At least 29 people are known to have died as a result of last month’s wildfires that tore through the greater Los Angeles area. The fires destroyed roughly 17,000 structures and tens of thousands of people were displaced from their homes.

Trump traveled to Los Angeles last month, where he was greeted by Newsom, who told the president at the time he had “all the expectations” the two will be able to work together.

Less than a month later, it was Newsom traveling to Trump following a meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in an effort to secure aid as the state begins its long road to recovery.

Newsom called his closed -door meeting with Trump this week “incredibly productive.”

“I have all the confidence in the world that it’s going to be a strong partnership moving forward,” the governor told CNN.

“Part of me is celebrating. Yay, the parties are working together. And then part of me is really angry because this shows that the last nine years didn’t have to be so tense,” said former California Assembly member Mike Gatto (D).

“Everybody in politics is guilty of exaggerating how bad the other side is. And then when a crisis comes along, it shows that we have the ability to work together like adults,” he said.

Newsom told CNN he did not receive “specific commitments” but “broad strokes” from the president.

“It wasn’t about focusing on disagreements. It was focusing on what we have in common,” the governor said of his conversation with the president. “What we have in common is a desire to support the people of LA”

Newsom went on to heap praise on Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin, saying the official is “doing an amazing job.”

“He’s on the ground today in Los Angeles,” Newsom said. “They are moving the first phase of the debris removal at record pace and I think it’s that mindset that we brought to the meeting and the mindset that came out of that meeting. The president wants to do something that has never been done and that is address this crisis with a degree of sophistication and focus to get the job done and get people’s lives back.”

It’s a sea change in rhetoric for Newsom. Just a few months ago, the governor called a special session following Trump’s election victory in an effort to “protect California values.”

In calling for the special session, Newsom cited the track record of the first Trump administration and his rhetoric on the campaign trail as indications of “the consequences of his presidency.”

Trump has repeatedly targeted Newsom going back to his first administration, repeatedly referring to the governor as “Newscum.”

But Newsom and others are quick to note that the governor and the president have been able to put partisanship aside during past crises.

“You were there for us during COVID,” Newsom told Trump last month in LA. “I don’t forget that, and I have all the expectations that we’ll be able to work together to get this speedy recovery.”

Newsom praised Trump’s response during the height of the pandemic in April 2020, specifically pointing to Trump’s help in getting the USNS Mercy, a hospital ship, docked in the state.

“If you look at Newsom on day one of COVID, it’s very reminiscent of what we’re seeing now: nonpartisan, focused on the job and the crisis, was not criticizing Trump but would praise federal assistance,” Stutzman said.

On Thursday, Newsom signed an executive order aimed at protecting homes in wildfire-prone areas through new regulations. Additionally, the governor has signed a slew of other post-wildfire executive orders in recent weeks, including one that he said would “maximize the capture and storage of water” during rain and snowstorms.

Newsom’s order came days after Trump issued his own executive order for California that would “maximize water delivery to high-need communities” and would “override” the state’s policies if needed.

“In terms of water management, the potential for some agreement and some new look at water management is not as far apart as the political rhetoric would suggest,” Stutzman said. “Newsom and Trump in a lot of ways are talking about the same thing, which is saving water and delivering water.”

Environmentalists have criticized the two orders, noting the similarities in language between them, and they have expressed fears about the impact the order could have on protections for fish and clean water.

As Newsom works with Trump and lawmakers to secure wildfire aid, his party is at a crossroads as it figures out how to navigate a second Trump administration. Democratic governors, including Newsom, could set the tone for how the party moves forward with Democrats being in the minority on Capitol Hill.

Newsom has continued to earn the ire of Republicans despite his putting aside politics to work with Trump.

“Gavin Newsom bending the knee to help his image? Who would have thought,” said Zack Roday, a Republican consultant.

Others think it is an improvement from as recently as last year, as speculation about Newsom’s presidential ambitions seemingly reached a boiling point.

“He was starting to hurt his political capital in the state by rather overtly turning his attention to national politics last year,” Stutzman said. “It’s wise for him at this time to be seen as focusing on his day job.”

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