- “Trump federalizes the DC police, federalizes not only the DC guard but the National Guard of seven red states, and deploys them to Washington. Trump seeks Congressional approval regarding federal control of the DC police for an indefinite period.” – CalExit statement
By Vanguard Staff
SACRAMENTO – Leaders of the CalExit movement issued strong statements this week supporting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approach to redistricting while sharply criticizing former President Donald Trump and warning of what they described as an ongoing attack on democracy.
Dr. Xavier Mitchell, CEO of CalExit, said, “It is the ultimate ‘best interest’ of California to fully and completely determine its own destiny.”
Mitchell declared his support for the governor’s position. “I support Governor Newsom’s stance and believe his efforts are in California’s best interest. Can California ever act in its own best interest within the confines of a larger political system which takes $80+ billion more from California every year than it receives back, has virtually no say in who resides in the oval office and whose culture, values and way of life are cursed by the same ‘fellow Americans’ whose roads and bridges are constructed at California’s expense? ‘NO,’ at least not within the current constitution of the American political process.”
J.J. Ames, Jr., Political Director of CalExit, placed the current redistricting debate in a broader context of national politics. “There would be no ‘reaction and response’ which necessitates ‘redistricting in California,’ were it not for the President of the United States striking another blow for fascism by effectively usurping the function of the Texas governor,” Ames said. He called the move an “arguably unconstitutional conspiracy conceived by the Trump administration and implemented by a cadre of very willing co-conspirators whose end game is not at all to ‘govern’ but merely the aggregation of money and power and personal enrichment.”
Ames argued that Newsom’s refusal to take unilateral action without voter approval represented a recommitment to democracy. He contrasted this restraint with Trump, whom he described as a “34 time convicted felon” who has “conspire[d] with a political ally, TO EVISCERATE those core principles, threaten elected representatives of the People of Texas, up to and including seeking to have those elected officials pursued by both state and federal law enforcement and later holding at least one such official in effective custody.”
The CalExit statement emphasized California’s economic power and its limited influence in federal politics. It noted that 14.6 million Californians voted in the 2016 presidential election, but even if all had voted for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump still would have become president because of the Electoral College. Leaders argued that this system leaves California perpetually disadvantaged, despite being the fourth-largest economy in the world and the largest subnational economy anywhere.
The release argued that the imbalance has real-world consequences, citing Trump’s response to wildfires in California. It recalled how Trump threatened to withhold disaster relief, reportedly saying he “MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT” provide aid depending on whether Californians were “nice to him.”
CalExit also connected its support for Newsom’s stance to broader national security concerns. The group pointed to Trump’s announcement of plans to deploy additional troops to Chicago and suggested the deployment had less to do with crime and more to do with consolidating political control. The statement questioned why federalized National Guard troops were being drawn disproportionately from Republican-led states and whether those troops might one day be used to suppress opposition in Democratic states.
The group drew parallels between current events and the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. It warned that Trump’s attempts to federalize police and National Guard units could pave the way for martial law and efforts to extend his power beyond legal limits. The release said, “Trump federalizes the DC police, federalizes not only the DC guard but the National Guard of seven red states, and deploys them to Washington. Trump seeks Congressional approval regarding federal control of the DC police for an indefinite period.” It added that such actions could make Trump “effectively both President and Mayor.”
The CalExit statement warned that the United States is “but a single triggering event away from the start of Civil War 2.0.” It claimed the country has been on that trajectory for at least a decade, describing it as a matter of “when” rather than “if.” The release referenced conversations with military officials who allegedly warned that National Guard units might not be reliable in a domestic conflict because of overlapping membership with state militias.
“Texas has acted. California will act,” the statement read. Ames suggested that other states will follow suit as political and legal battles over redistricting intensify. He accused Trump of using redistricting, law enforcement powers, and troop deployments not to govern but to entrench personal and political control.
The release concluded with a series of appeals to Californians, warning that the deployment of active-duty Marines to Los Angeles streets should serve as a wake-up call. It argued that residents concerned about public safety, natural disasters, or civil rights must recognize that the federal government cannot be relied upon to protect California’s interests.
“It is time for every Californian offended by the presence of active duty Marines on LA city streets to recognize that this is only the beginning, and it only gets worse,” the statement said.
It added that Californians should reaffirm commitments to “diversity, equity, and inclusion, and JUSTICE FOR ALL Californians, regardless of race, creed, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, or immigration status.”
The statement concluded, “A Sovereign California will take its rightful place in the community of nations as the new leader of the free world, because we are already the shining light on the hill. Without the active interference from Washington, that light will only shine brighter.”
CalExit framed the moment as an opportunity for Newsom to consider his own legacy. The release asked whether he wanted to be remembered as “the George Washington of a Sovereign California.”
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