4 Ways CA Democrats Can Derail Trump’s Agenda

Days after Donald Trump won back the White House, CA Governor Gavin Newsom declared he would lead the national “resistance” movement against Trump’s agenda by convening a special session of the state legislature to not only “Trump Proof” California but use state tax dollars to fund an array of lawsuits against Trump to derail his agenda nationally.

This week CA state Democrats advanced a bill to give themselves $50M in taxpayer funds to hire government lawyers to derail Trump’s agenda.

“In Trump’s first term, Republican elected officials sat silent as Newsom and state Democrats thwarted Trump on every issue,” warns Carl DeMaio, Chairman of Reform California and a new member of the California State Assembly.

“This time it has to be different – we need Republican elected officials in California to have Trump’s back at every turn,” DeMaio says.

DeMaio warns that Newsom and CA Democrats are trying to derail Trump’s agenda on four separate fronts:

1. Stopping Trump from Securing the Border: By creating a Sanctuary State, offering taxpayer handouts to incentivize human trafficking, and by suing to stop Trump border policies. Bad border policies in CA mean illegal in every community across the country – and illegal drugs to boot.

2. Imposing Crazy State Mandates that Result in National Standards: California is the largest state economy – and by imposing state mandates on what happens here, they in effect create national standard. For example vehicle emissions or mandates for sale of EVs. Automakers won’t build one kind of car for CA standards and one for national – so whatever CA does, could end up costing you more in your state. Trump can sue CA to stop these mandates if they create national standards – but it will be a big fight.

3. Undermining Trump’s Economic Plans: California is the largest state economy – and high taxes and regulatory costs will be a drag on the national economy that Trump inherits.  “You can’t have a healthy America with a sick California!” DeMaio warns.

4. Shoddy Election Practices in CA: Trump has a slim 3 vote margin in the House and despite losing 3 house seats in CA in 24 after election day in post-election vote counting. Bottomline: CA House races were the key to the margin for GOP. There are 4 toss-up House seats that Democrats want to flip in 2026 in CA and they will continue to allow bad election practices like ballot harvesting to try to win those seats.

DeMaio has outlined a three-point campaign through his Reform California political movement to DEFEND TRUMP’S AGENDA FROM ATTACK FROM CALIFORNIA.

HOLD CA POLITICIANS ACCOUNTABLE: CA Democrats are attacking Trump simply because they need to divert attention from their own miserable failures in our state. Every time they attack Trump, we need to respond in the media by pushing back and exposing more of their failures.

HELP TRUMP RESCUE CALIFORNIA: I’ve said repeatedly that Trump is the only one who can save California from the mess that our state’s liberal politicians have created. DeMaio is working closely with his appointees in key federal agencies on ways to use authority of the federal government to compel state politicians to change their extreme policies.  

WIN TARGET SEATS: Trump is at risk of losing his House majority in ’26 – and if that happens, Democrats will block his agenda for the remainder of his term. California is the most important battleground state and that’s why we must do our part by recruiting, training and supporting the best candidates in target seats in 2026.

But unlike Newsom and CA Democrats, Reform California doesn’t get taxpayer funds to do the work on the 3-point plan below to provide President Trump with support here in California.

“I’m hoping all conservatives in California join our campaign to have Trump’s back in this state – and protect his bold and positive agenda from being derailed by liberal California state politicians,” DeMaio concludes.