California Gov. Gavin Newsom Blames Trump For U.S. Regression During South Carolina Tour

California Gov. Gavin Newsom slammed President Donald Trump’s attack on various human rights during a two-day tour in South Carolina.

“What we’re experiencing is America in reverse,” Newsom said to attendees in Camden, South Carolina, one of eight stops during his tour, according to ABC News. “They’re trying to bring us back to a pre-1960s world on voting rights ― you know it well. Civil rights, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights and not just access to abortion, but also access to simple reproductive care, contraception… It’s a moment that few of us could have imagined.”

At a stop in Bennettsville, Newsom said Trump’s second administration so far has fostered “an alarming six months,” according to CNN.

“It’s not what happens to us, it’s how we respond to it. And our opportunity presents itself anew. In 18 months, you have the power to end Donald Trump’s presidency,” Newsom also said, CNN continued. The audience applauded him.

“We’ll have to deal with the tweets, we’ll have to deal with the attacks and the bullying. But the legislative agenda is effectively over,” Newsom added. “You have that power in these midterms.”

Newsom is a vocal critic of Trump, so it’s not new that he publicly denounced him. However, Newsom’s decision to conduct a two-day tour speaking with voters across the country is somewhat unusual. Multiple outlets, including CNN and The Associated Press, have reported that the move adds credence to rumors that Newsom will pursue the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.

“I think it’s really important for Democrats that we spend time in parts of our states, parts of our country, that frankly, we haven’t spent enough time in, and so that’s why I’m here,” Newsom explained Tuesday at a stop in Florence, according to The Associated Press.

Newsom’s tour also comes as Trump apparently attacked him without naming him, according to CNN.

At the White House on Tuesday, Trump referred to Newsom as “one of the worst governors in our country, who I used to get along with, actually.”

“If we didn’t step in, Los Angeles would have been burned to the ground,” Trump continued.

Newsom’s visit has prompted other Republicans to speak out against him.

“Gavin Newsom in South Carolina today is like a kale salad at a Waffle House — confused, unwelcome, and about to get sent back,” Republican Rep. Russell Fry (S.C.) said on X.

“Gavin Newsom is bringing his Crazy California agenda to Trump Country. It’s up to us to show him what real leadership looks like,” the South Carolina GOP reportedly said in an email to supporters listing Newsom’s full itinerary, according to Fox News.

“Gavin Newsom turned California into a case study in government overreach and liberal failure. We don’t need Gavin Newsom’s twisted version of America in the Palmetto State,” South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is running for governor as a Republican in 2026, said among a series of Newsom-centered posts on X. “If Gavin Newsom wants to test his national message here, he’ll be met by a united conservative front that knows exactly what’s at stake.”

Newsom’s office and the White House, respectively, did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.