Gavin Newsom says he’s surprised eight senators reached a shutdown deal

BELEM, Brazil (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that he is surprised by the decision of eight senators to break with Democrats and end the government shutdown and warned that they are not alarmed enough by President Donald Trump’s breaking of political norms.

“I’m not here to punch anyone in the face, but I don’t like that, in the face of this invasive species that is Donald Trump, who completely changed the rules of the game, we continue to play by the old rules of the game,” Newsom told The News in an interview at the COP30 United Nations Climate Conference in Brazil. “And deep down, I’m stunned.”

Newsom was asked what he would say to the group of seven Democrats and one independent senator who joined Republicans in the Senate on Monday night to pass legislation to reopen the government, bringing closer the longest shutdown in history. Along with the ratified deal came harsh criticism of the moderates from other Democrats, frustrated by what they said amounted to caving in to the GOP without making lasting progress toward extending health care subsidies that were set to expire Jan. 1.

via News

As news of a possible compromise approached ahead of a procedural vote Sunday night to advance omnibus funding legislation, Newsom’s press office wrote on X: “Pathetic. This is not a deal. This is a surrender. Don’t bend the knee!” After the same eight senators (seven Democrats and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, who is part of the Democrats) joined Republicans in that procedural vote, he called their compromise “capitulation and betrayal of American workers.”

The group of defectors consisted of several senators who are retiring next year, as well as several former governors. Since taking their action, several have acknowledged that they considered the deal imperfect but necessary to end the shutdown, which has meant late payments, disruptions to federal food aid and travel headaches for millions of people across the country.

When asked by the AP about his own efforts to counter Trump, from a bombastic social media presence to last week’s successful passage of U.S. House maps for California intended to counter Trump-backed efforts to do the same to Republicans in other states, Newsom reiterated what he framed as his commitment to go further than others in his party.

“I’m actually more alarmed than I think because all eight members of my party are in the United States Senate,” Newsom said. “I am far more alarmed than they are about the future of our country and the world we are trying to build.”

The Trump administration did not send an official delegation to COP30 in Brazil this week. Newsom, whose state represents the world’s fourth-largest economy, is expected to meet with officials from some of the 195 world governments in attendance.