Erin is the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season. ABC News
(NEW YORK) — Erin has become the first hurricane of the Atlantic season, with several areas already on alert for heavy rain and strong waves and rip currents possible along the East Coast of the United States as early as next week.
Hurricane Erin is a Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds up to 75 mph.
Tropical storm watches are in place for the Northern Leeward Islands of St. Martin, St. Barts, Anguilla and Barbuda, with breezy and rainy conditions possible in these areas for the next 48 hours. Erin is expected to pass near or north of the Leeward Islands on Saturday.
This weekend, Erin will move north of Puerto Rico and could potentially become a major hurricane, Category 3 or higher, by Sunday morning. The outer bands of this storm could bring 2 to 4 inches of rain to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Saturday and Sunday, which could lead to isolated flash flooding, potential mudslides and gusty winds of 40 to 50 mph.
Moving to next week, Erin will continue to move northwest, staying east of the Bahamas.
The majority of meteorological modeling continues to keep Erin well off the East Coast of the U.S. by hundreds of miles, but large waves and life-threatening rip currents are still expected to reach the coast on Aug. 20 to Aug. 27.
This would not only be dangerous for anyone entering the waters, but also for property along the coast, as erosion — especially along North Carolina’s Outer Banks — could be a serious threat. The Outer Banks and other parts of North Carolina could see waves of 8 to 12 feet, with other areas of South Carolina and Virginia possibly seeing waves reaching 6 feet next week.
Despite the threat of strong waves along the East Coast, a cold front pushing off of America’s coast is expected to keep Erin out to sea and will also bring below-average temperatures to the Northeast next week.
The National Hurricane Center predicted an above-normal hurricane season for the Atlantic.
August, September and October are the most active months of the Atlantic hurricane season, which ends on Nov. 30.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — Consumer sentiment worsened in August, snapping two consecutive months of improved attitudes among shoppers as President Donald Trump imposed sweeping new tariffs on nearly 70 countries. The fresh reading fell short of economists’ expectations.
The dampening of shopper attitudes returns the measure to a months-long downturn that took hold after Trump took office, University of Michigan Survey data on Friday showed. At its low point, consumer sentiment fell close to its worst level since a bout of inflation three years ago. The measure remains below where it stood in December, before Trump took office.
Year-ahead inflation expectations rose from 4.5% last month to 4.9% this month, the data showed. The outcome anticipated by respondents would put inflation well above its current level of 2.7%. The heightened inflation expectation occurred across people of all political affiliations, the survey said.
The report arrived days after an inflation reading came in lower than economists had expected, offering a respite for consumers wary of significant tariff-induced price hikes.
Consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, is a key bellwether for the outlook of the nation’s economy.
Some recent indicators have suggested the onset of an economic slowdown. A report on gross domestic product late last month indicated average annualized growth of 1.2% over the first half of 2025, well below 2.8% growth last year.
A jobs report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Aug. 1 revealed a sharp cooldown of the labor market. Hours later, Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, accusing her without evidence of “faked” statistics.
McEntarfer, a Biden appointee who was confirmed by the Senate in 2024, had served in the federal government for two decades prior to her firing.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve as Commissioner of BLS alongside the many dedicated civil servants tasked with measuring a vast and dynamic economy,” McEntarfer said in a social media post after her dismissal. “It is vital and important work and I thank them for their service to this nation.”
William Beach, a former commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, who was appointed by Trump, condemned the firing of McEntarfer.
“The totally groundless firing of Dr. Erika McEntarfer, my successor as Commissioner of Labor Statistics at BLS, sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the statistical mission of the Bureau,” Beach posted on X.
Still, some facets of the economy have proven resilient. The U.S. has largely averted the type of widespread job losses that often accompany a recession. Consumer spending ticked higher over three months ending in June. Corporate earnings have remained robust.
The Federal Reserve opted to hold interest rates steady at a meeting in July as the central bank voiced concern about a possible rekindling of inflation as Trump’s tariffs take hold.
Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., last month, Powell said tariffs would likely “push up prices and weigh on economic activity” over the course of this year. But, he added, the effects would depend on the “ultimate level” of tariffs, which have frequently fluctuated.
Immigration Court building entrance at 26 Federal Plaza in New York. (Photo by Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Envelopes containing a white powder that were found at a government building in New York City housing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office did not contain any dangerous substances, officials said Friday.
The incident occurred Thursday afternoon at 26 Federal Plaza, in Manhattan’s Foley Square, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.
The five letters were found at about 4 p.m. in the mailroom of the ICE Enforcement and Removal Office on the ninth floor, according to the FBI.
“In the majority of my experience, most of these incidents turn out to be nothing. However, this matter is not going to be taken lightly,” said Christoper Raia, the FBI assistant director in charge of the FBI’s New York field office, who noted that “sending threatening letters of this nature, whether real or a hoax, is a crime.”
Initial testing of the powder indicates it was boric acid, which is commonly used in pesticides and other chemicals and is harmful if eaten, officials told WABC.
Personnel in the ICE ERO office found the envelopes, according to Raia, who said two people were initially exposed. Those two individuals are expected to OK, officials told New York ABC station WABC.
On Friday, Adams told radio station 1010 WINS that “no dangerous substances” were involved in the incident, but said it is “still a serious crime.”
“We are going to make sure the person responsible will be brought to justice,” Adams told 1010 WINS.
Hazmat teams were on the ground on Thursday “to ensure the safety of everyone inside and outside of the building” while awaiting the test results, the mayor said.
The building was evacuated “per standard protocol,” Raia said.
The 41-floor office building is home to ICE’s New York City field office, as well as the FBI’s New York field office and an immigration court. It has made headlines and been the site of frequent protests over ICE operations in the city amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
A so-called “holding facility” for detained migrants is located on the 10th floor of the building. Following allegations of unsanitary conditions there, a federal judge this week ordered the Trump administration to ensure the facility is not overcrowded and that detainees are provided with hygiene products and confidential access to lawyers. The Department of Homeland Security denied the conditions in the facility were subprime.
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander was arrested in June while observing proceedings at the building’s immigration court. He was accused of assaulting law enforcement and impeding a federal officer but has not been charged.
U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on August 8, 2025 in Washington/ (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump’s highly anticipated one-on-one summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin marks his latest effort at securing a peace deal over Ukraine, a priority in his second term.
The meeting comes after a string of deals and agreements the White House said Trump has helped broker globally that should earn him something the president has long desired — a Nobel Peace Prize.
“President Trump has brokered on average about one peace deal or ceasefire per month during his six months in office,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing last month. “It’s well past time that President Trump was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Trump himself has voiced grievance over not having a Nobel Peace Prize; while taking questions in the Oval Office in February alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, weeks after the U.S. helped broker an ultimately short-lived ceasefire agreement over Gaza, the president said, “They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize. I deserve it.”
The president has also said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for U.S.-brokered deals in other conflicts, including the June peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda and the May ceasefire between India and Pakistan.
“No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be, but the people know, and that’s all that matters to me!” Trump said on social media in June.
Observers say Trump’s desire for the Nobel Peace Prize looms large over the summit with Putin, as the president looks to fulfill a campaign promise to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. It’s something he said he would do in the first 24 hours of his second term, though months into his term, as the war raged on, said he had meant the 24-hour pledge “figuratively.”
Ahead of the planned meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday, some foreign policy experts have voiced concern over how Trump and his supporters’ fixation on the prize could impact diplomatic relations.
Max Boot, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, argued in a Washington Post column that “Trump’s unhealthy obsession with winning the Nobel Peace Prize has driven him to make a series of rash decisions in pursuit of ending the war in Ukraine.”
“The latest example is the scheduling of a premature summit with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Alaska — an object lesson in how not to do diplomacy,” he wrote.
Ian Bremmer — the president and founder of Eurasia Group, a political risk research and consulting firm — said in a post on X ahead of the talks that he fully expects Putin to “exploit Trump’s ambitions for admiration (a la Nobel Peace Prize) in an effort to get what he wants.”
Several world leaders and officials have expressed their support for Trump getting a Nobel Peace Prize in recent months.
Among them, the government of Pakistan said in June it has formally recommended that Trump receive the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize “in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis.”
A month later, Netanyahu told Trump that he nominated the president for the award after Trump pushed for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
After signing a U.S.-brokered agreement at the White House aimed at ending decades of conflict between their countries, the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia said this month that Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and they would advocate for it.
Ahead of Friday’s summit, John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, told ABC News “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl that nominating Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is “the way to his heart.”
“I think what Trump has done is make it clear that he wants a Nobel Peace Prize more than anything else,” he said. “And the way to his heart, as Pakistani Chief of Staff [Asim] Munir found, Bibi Netanyahu found — offer to nominate him.”
Bolton, who has been critical of Trump’s foreign policy decisions, left his post during Trump’s first term amid reports of conflict among the president’s foreign policy advisers. Trump said he fired Bolton, while Bolton said he resigned. At the start of Trump’s second term, Bolton said Trump terminated his Secret Service protection.
White House officials have touted Trump as a “deal maker” intent on reaching peace. Heading into the summit, Vice President JD Vance called the expected meeting with Putin “a major breakthrough for American diplomacy,” saying in an interview with Fox News that a peace deal wouldn’t happen without Trump.
“We’re gonna try to find some kind of negotiated settlement that the Ukrainians and Russians can live with, where they can live in relative peace, where the killing stops,” Vance said.
“Both the Russians and the Ukrainians probably at the end of the day are gonna be unhappy with it. But I don’t think you can actually sit down and have this negotiation absent the leadership of Donald J. Trump,” Vance continued.
Though he often brings it up, Trump has contended that he is “not politicking” for the Nobel Peace Prize, which was last given to a U.S. leader in 2009, when former President Obama received it less than a year into his first term.
“It would be a great honor, certainly. But I would never politic. I’m not doing it for that,” he said during this month’s Azerbaijan-Armenia peace summit. “I’m doing it because of really, number one, I want to save lives. That’s why I’m involved so much with Ukraine and Russia — saving lives of Russians and Ukrainians.”
A day before the planned summit, Trump said he believed he’d have a “good” conversation with Putin but said that the more significant development in the peace effort would be a second meeting between the U.S., Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“I’m there for one reason,” he said. “I want to see if I can stop the killing.”
An EasyJet Airbus A320 comes in to land as another EasyJet Airbus A320 waits on the taxiway at London Southend Airport on July 28, 2025 in Southend, England. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)
(LONDON) — Two easyJet planes clipped wings on the runway at Manchester International Airport in the United Kingdom on Friday morning, officials said.
A spokespeson for Manchester Airport confirmed to ABC News that “two easyJet planes clipped wings as they taxied on the airfield” and a temporary ground stop was ordered immediately after the planes made contact with each other.
“We suspended operations briefly while they were assessed to see if they could taxi back to a stand, which they could so operations resumed after a few minutes,” the airport spokesperson said.
There have been no reports of any injuries following the incident and authorities at the airport are currently investigating.
“EasyJet is handling arrangements for passengers affected,” officials said.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Kayla Panagrosso contributed to this report.
US President Donald Trump (R) meets Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) on the first day of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan on June 28, 2019. (Photo by Kremlin Press Office / Handout/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — In his first term, President Donald Trump met with Russia’s Vladimir Putin six times but one moment stood out.
It happened in Helsinki, Finland, in 2018 when Trump, standing next to him, suggested he believed Putin’s denial that Russia interfered in the 2016 election over the findings of U.S. intelligence.
At the time, Trump said U.S.-Russia relations had “never been worse” than before they met but that had “changed.”
Now, Trump is set to hold his first one-on-one meeting with Putin of his second term at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.
The backdrop for Friday’s highly-anticipated summit is a darker one, amid Russia’s relentless onslaught on Ukraine and Putin presenting a frustrating obstacle to Trump’s professed desire to end the war.
The meeting will spotlight their relationship — one that Trump said during the 2024 campaign was so strong he could end the conflict on his first day in office or even before.
“It seems that Donald Trump used to think that he understands Putin well and has a good rapport with him, but over the last few months we’ve seen him alter his position in that regard and actually become more frustrated with Putin. I think he’s becoming more moderated in his expectations about what the meeting can bring,” said Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Trump called Putin a “strong leader” in his first term and a “genius” shortly after his forces first invaded Ukraine.
Early in his second term, Trump said that Putin would be “generous” in peace talks and Ukraine more difficult.
Trump made several public demands of Ukraine, including that it would have to give up its goal of joining NATO and possibly cede some territory, while notably not setting any such red lines for Russia.
The president even sympathized with Putin’s status as a global pariah, saying in February that he would “love” for Russia to rejoin the Group of Seven nations and that it was a mistake for Moscow to have been expelled from the company of world leaders following Putin’s annexation of Crimea.
“Look, nothing’s going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK?” Trump said back in the spring.
Over the last few months, however, Trump’s tone toward Putin has shifted.
“I’ve always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!” Trump wrote on his social media platform in late May.
Trump expressed repeatedly that he’s “disappointed” in the Russian president as strikes intensified between Russia and Ukraine this summer.
In July, Trump said he was fed up with the “bull—- thrown at us by Putin.” “He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless,” he said.
“We’re not happy with Putin. I’m not happy with Putin. I can tell you that much right now, because he’s killing a lot of people,” Trump added.
Trump has kept American-made weapons supplied to Ukraine through a deal with European partners and recently slapped steep secondary tariffs on India, one of the largest purchasers of Russian oil, in indirect pressure on Moscow.
Still, Trump held back on his threats to impose harsher sanctions on Aug. 8 if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire. Instead, on that date, Trump announced he would host the Russian leader on U.S. soil for a one-on-one meeting.
“He has more that he could do in order to push Putin to come to the table,” said William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine currently serving as a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.
So far, Trump has tempered expectations about Friday’s summit. He’s called it a “feel-out meeting” and the White House described it as a “listening exercise.”
At the same time, he warned again this week of “severe consequences” if Russia didn’t end the conflict.
“I think that Trump believes that strongmen of Putin’s kind are to be negotiated with eye to eye, and he wants to feel the ground to see what he gets from the meeting with Putin. The problem with that is Putin is also a shrewd manipulator and he has the KGB background, he is known to be very convincing and make people like him in person,” said Snegovaya.
John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser, said Putin’s goal for this summit is to get back into Trump’s good graces.
“What Putin wants to get back, he’s not so worried about the sanctions, he wants the relationship back with Trump. We’ll see if he gets it,” Bolton said on ABC’s “This Week.”
(NEW YORK) — A fresh report on consumer sentiment on Friday will show how shoppers digested a cascade of economic developments this month, including President Donald Trump’s firing of a top labor statistics official hours after the release of weak jobs data.
The report, which details shopper attitudes in August, is set to arrive days after an inflation reading came in lower than economists had expected, offering a respite for consumers wary of significant tariff-induced price hikes.
The period covered by the report also coincides with the onset of sweeping new tariffs, which significantly expanded the reach of Trump’s confrontational trade policy.
Economists expect consumer sentiment to have improved slightly in August, which would extend two previous months of brightening shopper attitudes.
Before the swell of optimism, consumer sentiment had fallen close to its lowest level since a bout of inflation three years ago.
Even after the anticipated increase, the measure of consumer sentiment would remain below where it stood in December, before Trump took office.
Consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, is a key bellwether for the outlook of the nation’s economy.
Some recent indicators have suggested the onset of an economic slowdown. A report on gross domestic product late last month indicated average annualized growth of 1.2% over the first half of 2025, well below 2.8% growth last year.
A jobs report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Aug. 1 revealed a sharp cooldown of the labor market. Hours later, Trump fired BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer, accusing her without evidence of “faked” statistics.
McEntarfer, a Biden appointee who was confirmed by the Senate in 2024, had served in the federal government for two decades prior to her firing.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve as Commissioner of BLS alongside the many dedicated civil servants tasked with measuring a vast and dynamic economy,” McEntarfer said in a social media post after her dismissal. “It is vital and important work and I thank them for their service to this nation.”
William Beach, a former commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, who was appointed by Trump, condemned the firing of McEntarfer.
“The totally groundless firing of Dr. Erika McEntarfer, my successor as Commissioner of Labor Statistics at BLS, sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the statistical mission of the Bureau,” Beach posted on X.
Still, some facets of the economy have proven resilient. The U.S. has largely averted the type of widespread job losses that often accompany a recession. Consumer spending ticked higher over three months ending in June. Corporate earnings have remained robust.
The Federal Reserve opted to hold interest rates steady at a meeting in July as the central bank voiced concern about a possible rekindling of inflation as Trump’s tariffs take hold.
Speaking at a press conference in Washington, D.C., last month, Powell said tariffs would likely “push up prices and weigh on economic activity” over the course of this year. But, he added, the effects would depend on the “ultimate level” of tariffs, which have frequently fluctuated.
Kellogg’s cereal products are offered for sale at a grocery store on July 10, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — WK Kellogg Co. has announced that they will stop using artificial dyes in its breakfast cereals by the end of 2027, according to a statement from the company.
The maker of Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Frosted Flakes and Rice Krispies, just to name a few, said that they are evolving their portfolio of cereals “to provide consumers with more of what they want and need — such as whole grains and fiber and less of what they don’t.”
“Today, the vast majority — 85 percent — of our cereal sales contain no FD&C colors and none of our products have contained Red No. 3 for years,” Kellogg said in their statement making the announcement. “We are committed to continue working with HHS and FDA to identify effective solutions to remove FD&C colors from foods.”
Kellogg pledged that they will be reformulating their cereals served in schools to not include FD&C colors by the 2026-27 school year, that they will not be launching any new products with FD&C colors beginning in January 2026 and that they plan on removing all FD&C colors from their products by the end of 2027, according to their announcement.
“We are proud that our cereals provide consumers with important nutrients such as Iron, Vitamin D and Folate,” Kellogg said. “Kellogg’s cereals have played an important role in U.S. consumers’ lives for more than a century, and we look forward to continuing that tradition.”
The change comes amid a push from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to crack down on synthetic food additives as part of his initiative to “Make America Healthy Again.” Among those efforts are proposals to phase out artificial food dyes in favor of natural alternatives.
In June, Kraft Heinz and General Mills announced plans to remove artificial food dyes from some products within the next two years. Several other large food manufacturers — including PepsiCo, ConAgra, The Hershey Company, McCormick & Co., J.M. Smucker, Nestlé USA and more — have announced similar plans in recent months.
As of May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved three additional color additives from natural sources that are in line with the Department of Health and Human Services’ goals, which can be used in a wide range of products from gum to breakfast cereal.
Just last month, Mars Wrigley North America announced that products across four categories of its popular treats — gum, fruity confections and chocolate candy — will be made “without Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors” starting in 2026.
The first of their brands to be available without without FD&C colors will include M&M’s Chocolate, Skittles Original, Extra Gum Spearmint and Starburst Original fruit chews, the company said.
ABC News’ Kelly McCarthy contributed to this report.
Former U.S. President Barack Obama participates in a book talk with former German Chancellor Angela Merkel at The Anthem on December 02, 2024 in Washington, DC. Obama and Merkel discussed her memoir “Freedom” as well as world politics and the history the two former leaders have witnessed. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Former President Barack Obama on Thursday joined a virtual meeting with Texas House Democrats who left the state to deny Republicans the ability to pass newly drawn GOP-favorable congressional maps, cheering on their efforts and stressing their work comes at a critical time in the fight against partisan gerrymandering.
ABC News is first to report on the meeting and its contents.
Obama “lauded their fight against the Republican efforts to enact an even more egregious gerrymander in Texas ahead of the midterms. He made clear that they are part of a bigger effort to protect free and fair elections and commended them for inspiring others with their actions,” an Obama spokesperson told ABC News in a statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(WASHINGTON) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he is moving forward with putting proposed new congressional maps for the state on the ballot on a Nov. 4 special election in an attempt to counter mid-decade redistricting being pushed by Republicans in Texas.
“I know they say ‘Don’t mess with Texas.’ Well, don’t mess with the great Golden State,” Newsom said at a news conference, flanked by Democratic members of Congress and California union leaders.
“We’re doing this in reaction to a president of the United States that called a sitting governor of the state of Texas and said, ‘Find me five seats,'” he added later.
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.
“Where are we? We are at Democracy Center and right outside at this exact moment? There are dozens and dozens of ICE agents, you Donald Trump, you think it’s coincidental? Donald Trump and his minions, Tom Homan, tough guy, clearly decided, coincidentally or not, that this was a location to advance ICE arrests,” said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said there was “no way” the operation was a coincidence.
“This was widely publicized that the governor and many of our elected officials were having a press conference here to talk about redistricting. And they decided they were going to come and thumb their nose in front of the governor’s face,” she said. “Why would you do that? It’s unbelievably disrespectful. It’s a provocative act. They’re talking about disorder in Los Angeles and they are the source of the disorder in Los Angeles right now. This is just completely unacceptable.”
ABC News has reached out to Customs and Border Protection for comment.
The California legislature will have to pass legislation to put the maps on the ballot.
Speaking to reporters after the announcement, Newsom said California won’t move forward with its mid-decade redistricting plans if Republican-run states considering redistricting don’t move forward with redrawing their own maps.
“This does not go forward — I want to remind everybody — unless one of these other states move forward, there’s still an exit ramp — not just Texas, but Missouri, as I mentioned, or Florida, Indiana, these other states that are considering doing the unprecedented, rigging their elections with midterm redistricting. So we’re hopeful they don’t move forward. If that’s the case, this effort will not be necessary. But we’re not waiting,” he said.
Republicans are criticizing Newsom’s move as political.
“Gavin Newsom’s latest stunt has nothing to do with Californians and everything to do with consolidating radical Democrat power, silencing California voters, and propping up his pathetic 2028 presidential pipe dream,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez said in a statement ahead of the press conference.
“Newsom’s made it clear: he’ll shred California’s Constitution and trample over democracy — running a cynical, self-serving playbook where Californians are an afterthought and power is the only priority.”
