California Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t hold back during his Tuesday night appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
The Democrat issued a warning about the future of American democracy, pointing to what he described as ongoing efforts by President Donald Trump and his administration to undermine elections.
“I fear that we will not have an election in 2028,” Newsom told Colbert. “I really mean that in the core of my soul. Unless we wake up to the code red, what’s happening in this country, and we wake up soberly to how serious this moment is.”
I fear that we will not have an election in 2028 — I really mean that in the core of my soul — unless we wake up to what's happening in this country. pic.twitter.com/BjPsmw2izX
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) September 24, 2025
Newsom doubled down on his earlier claim that Trump is attempting to “rig the midterm elections” and expressed concern that democratic institutions are being systematically weakened.
The governor also blasted what he called the politicization of the Centers for Disease Control, singling out Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“We are making sure that our own independent analysis provides a list of recommendations based on facts, based on science, not based on b******t and fear,” Newsom said.
Kennedy, a longtime critic of the CDC, has repeatedly accused the agency of corruption and failing to protect American families, charges Newsom dismissed as dangerous political theater.
The late-night appearance comes as California heads into a special election this November on Proposition 50, a measure that could reshape the state’s legislative districts. Newsom has strongly supported Prop. 50, positioning it as a counterweight to Republican redistricting efforts in Texas.
Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has also weighed in, criticizing attempts to roll back citizen-driven redistricting.
“The politicians want to take the power away from the people here in California and they want to take it back so that they have the power,” Schwarzenegger said during USC’s International Day of Democracy event.
Newsom’s trip to New York isn’t just about politics. He’s in the city for Climate Week, where he’s scheduled to join former President Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative. He’ll also sit down with New York Times journalist David Gelles for the paper’s “Climate Forward” event.
But for many watching Tuesday’s broadcast, it was Newsom’s dire warning about democracy that stood out most. His words on Colbert’s stage were less about partisanship and more about urgency.
“The alarm bells are ringing,” he said. “We either take this moment seriously, or we risk losing everything we claim to value about our democracy.”
