I was excited to interview California Democratic gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra this week. As you know by now, Donald Trump has made California one of his favorite political targets, but as Becerra tells me, those attacks are about far more than rhetoric.
In my interview with Becerra, we discussed why he believes Trump’s escalating focus on California is part of a broader effort to undermine voting rights, weaken public services, and turn the nation’s largest state into a political battleground with national implications.
Becerra, who previously served as California’s attorney general, said Trump thrives on creating “noise,” but argued that behind the spectacle are real policies that threaten Californians. He pointed to Trump’s repeated attacks on the state’s elections and his efforts to cast doubt on vote-by-mail as part of a coordinated campaign to make voting harder.
“We had to sue him more than 100 times during his first presidency,” Becerra said, recalling his time as attorney general. “We’ll stand up where we need to defend our people, our resources, and our values.”
A major focus of our conversation was Proposition 39, a ballot measure Becerra described as California’s version of Trump’s federal voting agenda. He argued that the proposal is designed to create new hurdles for voters while discouraging participation, particularly among first-time voters and newly naturalized citizens. He also criticized Trump’s legal efforts to restrict vote-by-mail nationwide, saying they reflect a broader strategy of suppressing turnout rather than winning over voters.
Becerra also accused Republican gubernatorial nominee Steve Hilton of trying to advance Trump’s agenda in California, arguing that the race is about whether the state remains a firewall against policies coming from Washington.
Beyond elections, Becerra said Californians are already feeling the impact of Trump’s policies, particularly on health care funding. He pledged that, if elected governor, protecting access to health care would be one of his top priorities, even in the face of what the “man-made disasters” coming out of Washington.
You can watch my full interview with Xavier Becerra above. Let me know what you think in the comments. I love reading them!
