California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed on Thursday that President Trump would seek a third term in office. “I said it a moment ago, ‘Wake Up America.’ Wake up. You will not have a country if he rigs this election,” Newsom said. “You will have a president who will be running for a third term. Mark my word. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said that I received in the mail a ‘Trump 2028’ hat,” he continued. “These guys are not screwing around,” Newsom added. Here’s the clip: NEWSOM: "Trump will be running for a third term. Mark my word." "I received, in the mail, a 'Trump 2028' hat." "These guys are not screwing around." pic.twitter.com/pkiCeadEz4 — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 14, 2025 Newsom and other Democratic leaders announced California would move forward with a plan to redraw its congressional maps to help Democrats gain five additional seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. “Today is ‘Liberation Day’ in the State of California,” Newsom declared. NOW: Newsom steals President Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’ message — “Today is ‘Liberation Day’ in the State of California.’” Have Democrats ever had an original thought? Or an original policy that isn’t just: oppose Trump? The ENTIRETY of this clip is embarrassing… pic.twitter.com/6DJo3xvzKm — The Vigilant Fox (@VigilantFox) August 14, 2025 ABC7 Los Angeles provided further info: The move is a direct response to a Republican-led effort in Texas, pushed by President Donald Trump as his party seeks to maintain its slim House majority after the midterm elections. Texas lawmakers are considering a new map that would help them send five more Republicans to Washington, but Democrats have so far halted a vote by leaving the state to prevent their GOP colleagues from meeting Trump’s demands. “We can’t stand back and watch this democracy disappear district by district all across the country,” Newsom said Thursday as he called for a Nov. 4 special election to put the new maps before voters. State lawmakers must officially declare the special election, which they plan to do next week. The Democrats’ proposed maps still haven’t been released. That’s expected Friday. Then lawmakers plan to quickly approve them next week. Democrats hold supermajorities in both chambers. Newsom claimed Trump’s presidency would end in 17 months, saying he would lose the midterms. Trump knows he'll lose so he's rigging the system. pic.twitter.com/quQR9b0ycA — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) August 14, 2025 ABC News has more: He said the state government will affirm its commitment to the state’s independent redistricting commission after the 2030 census, “but we’re asking the voters for their consent to do midterm redistricting in 2026, 2028 and 2030 for the congressional maps to respond to what’s happening in Texas … and we’ll do so in a way that also affirms our desire as a state to level the playing field all across the United States.” In a campaign video released concurrently with his announcement, Newsom framed the issue in stark terms. “It is a five-alarm fire for democracy in the United States of America. Donald Trump, who is trying to light a torch on democracy, continues to try to rig the election,” Newsom says in the video. As the governor was speaking, federal agents appeared to be conducting an immigration enforcement operation outside of the venue.