“Fight fire with fire” is the new call to arms from California Governor Gavin Newsom to the Democratic Party. He is advocating for a more aggressive and confrontational strategy to combat the Republican party and the ambitions of Donald Trump, whom he accuses of plotting an unconstitutional third term.
Newsom is not just talking the talk. He pointed to his own actions in California, specifically a proposed redistricting plan to give Democrats a strategic advantage, as an example of what “fighting fire with fire” looks like in practice. He is arguing for a proactive, rather than reactive, approach.
This call for a more combative posture is rooted in Newsom’s belief that the GOP, under Trump’s influence, has abandoned traditional political norms. He believes that a one-sided adherence to those norms by Democrats is a form of unilateral disarmament in a high-stakes political war.
His warning about Trump’s third-term ambitions is the ultimate justification for this new strategy. When the opposition is contemplating a move that would shatter the constitution, Newsom argues, then a more forceful and less conventional response is not just an option, but a necessity.