We’ll Fight to the Death’: Democratic governors plan war on Trump

Democratic governors across the country are preparing to challenge President-elect Donald Trump’s second-term agenda, with one vowing a fight “to the death.”

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy told reporters Wednesday that his team had recently held a meeting to “war” the prospect of another Trump presidency.

New Jersey would be “willing to try anything if it goes against our values,” Murphy said when asked what the state would do to counter Trump’s sweeping second-term proposals, including mass deportations.

“If it goes against our values, we will fight to the death,” he said. “If there is an opportunity for common ground, we will seize it as quickly as anyone.”

Those comments came after Trump prevailed over Vice President Kamala Harris to win a second term in the White House on November 5. Harris urged his supporters to continue fighting for democracy in a concession speech Wednesday afternoon that mentioned the word “fight” nearly 20 times.

Trump said the election results had delivered an “unprecedented and powerful mandate” to Republicans. And with Republicans winning control of the Senate and possibly retaining control of the House as well, Trump may face little opposition in Congress to his second-term agenda, which includes tougher immigration policies and rolling back protections for LGBTQ+ citizens.

Across the country, several Democratic leaders have spoken about their preparations to protect their states’ values ​​during Trump’s second term.

Newsweek has reached out to Democratic governors and Trump’s team for comment via email.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday urged lawmakers to call a special session to strengthen the state’s legal resources to protect civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action and immigrant families.

“The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack — and we will not sit idly by,” Newsom said in a statement. “California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond.”

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who filed dozens of lawsuits against Trump as the state’s attorney general during her first term, has said she expects lawsuits to be filed if Trump moves ahead with plans for mass deportations.

“There’s going to be a lot of pressure on states and state officials, and I can assure you that we’re going to work really hard to deliver. I’m sure there could be lawsuits ahead,” she said on MSNBC.

“Every tool in the toolbox must be used to protect our citizens, to protect our residents and protect our states, and certainly to hold the line for democracy.”

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who has just been elected governor of the state, told reporters Thursday that his team has spent the past year preparing for the possibility of a Trump victory.

He said he has spoken with other Democratic attorneys general across the country and appointed his successor, Attorney General-elect Nick Brown, as a special assistant attorney general so he can be briefed on legal strategies before taking office.

Ferguson said he did not want to give specific details about actions that might be taken, but that he was particularly concerned about the incoming Trump administration restricting access to abortion and birth control, eliminating or weakening the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and removing the protection of LGBTQ+ residents.

He pointed to successful lawsuits his office pursued during Trump’s first term, including a challenge to Trump’s ban on travel from several predominantly Muslim countries.

Litigation is an “important tool to challenge federal actions that we believe are illegal or unconstitutional and hold the administration accountable to the rule,” Ferguson said, adding that his team defeated 55 policies and actions in Trump’s first term.

Across the county in New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul has convened a task force — called the Empire State Freedom Initiative — to “develop strategies to protect New Yorkers from a range of political and regulatory threats that could emerge under President-elect Trump.”

It will focus on key areas “where New York State and New Yorkers are most likely to face threats, including reproductive rights, civil rights, immigration, gun safety and the environment, among other issues,” her office said in a news release.

“I am committed to working with everyone on policies that make our state stronger, safer and more livable — but my administration will also stand ready to protect New Yorkers’ fundamental freedoms from any potential threats,” Hochul said in a statement.