In a sad but predictable reaction to the landslide election of President Trump and Republican candidates around the country, Gov. Gavin Newsom has called a special session of the California Legislature. He claims the move is an effort to “Trump-proof” California, but his real motive is obvious: raising his profile to lay the groundwork for a 2028 presidential run.

As usual, the people of California will pay the price for Newsom’s latest political stunt.

Thanks to the policies of the Biden/Harris administration, Americans struggled with the highest inflation in a generation, an open border, a sluggish economy and a wave of crime. Voters across the country, including here in California, delivered a strong rebuke to those policies, electing Republicans up and down the ballot.

Some Democrats understand their party needs to address the concerns of regular Americans instead of pandering to the elites in faculty lounges and the extremists in The Squad. New York Rep. Ritchie Torres blasted his fellow Democrats, blaming the loss on “the far left, which has managed to alienate historic numbers of Latinos, Blacks, Asians, and Jews” by ignoring the struggles of everyday people.

Newsom, on the other hand, has missed the point entirely.

Barely a day after the election was called for Trump, the governor declared a special session of the Legislature with the stated goal of bankrolling an army of government lawyers, led by Attorney General Rob Bonta, to fight the incoming Trump administration.

Not a special session on poverty in California (the highest in the country). Not to bring down utility rates (the highest in the continental U.S.) or housing prices (the highest in the country). Not on the insurance crisis (400,000 homeowners can’t find a policy) or violent crime (up 15% since 2018).

So the special session won’t address the most pressing issues facing Californians — but is it needed to hire these lawyers quickly, in a race against Trump’s executive actions?

Nope.

The Legislature comes back into session on January 6, 2025 — two weeks before the presidential inauguration. And if you’ve ever witnessed Democrats unveil a backroom deal and cram it through the Legislature after no more than the constitutionally required 72-hour waiting period, you’ll know that two weeks is plenty of time for lawmakers to pass a bill if they really want to.

So what’s the point?

Attention.

After the defeat of Kamala Harris, Newsom is obviously eying a 2028 run for the White House.

To run against opponents who will be sure to highlight his failures on crime, homelessness and affordability, the governor has decided to position himself the “Resister-in-Chief” on the national stage.

It seems that Newsom has decided that changing the narrative around himself is a better approach than actually solving the problems facing his constituents.

But while the Trump antagonist schtick might play well on MSNBC, it ultimately does a disservice to Californians and Newsom’s presidential ambitions.

Instead of listening to voters’ message that they are fed up and want a course correction, Newsom is using the special session to raise his national profile and kick off his 2028 campaign.

He’s not focused on solving the real problems Californians face — he’s focused on positioning himself as the new standard-bearer for the far-left wing of his party.

But if there is one thing that will torpedo his shot at the White House, it is the collection of highly visible quality of life issues that have gotten worse and worse under Newsom’s watch.

Californians deserve real solutions, not yet another Newsom vanity project. But if history is any indication, the Governor will keep chasing headlines while California’s crises will continue to spiral out of control.

James Gallagher represents the Third Assembly District and serves as Assembly Republican leader.