California Governor Gavin Newsomsays he thinksPresident Donald Trumpwill seek to remain in office beyond his constitutional term in 2028, and use federal agents to try to rig future elections in his and his Republican supporters' favor. Newsom,who has acknowledgedhe might run for president in 2028, has become one of the Democratic party's most forceful and visible critics of Trump. He gave what appeared to be hismost extensive and full-throated warningsabout the current president, and the state of American democracy, in a 48-minute Aug. 27 interview at POLITICO's "The California Agenda: Sacramento Summit." The United States is on the precipice of tipping into authoritarianism, Newsom said, because of actions taken by Trump including using federal immigration agents as "the largest private police force in history" for his own political benefit. More:'Don't poke the bear': Newsom uses Trump's punchy style to make 2028 case Repeatedly urging the audience to "wake up," Newsom said the rule of law in America "is being replaced by the rule of Don," and warned that Trump and his administration will send federal agents to polling places and voting booths across the country in upcoming elections. Newsom also said he thinks Trump wants to stay in office, and questioned whether there would be future democratic elections at all. "I don't thinkDonald Trumpwants another election," he told a POLITICO moderator. "I have two dozen Trump 2028 hats his folks keep sending me." "Who spendstwo hundred million dollarson a ballroom at their home and then leaves the house?" Newsom said, in reference to the90,000 square foot ballroomTrump says he is building at the White House for entertaining. More:'Don't poke the bear': Newsom uses Trump's punchy style to make 2028 case Asked if he envisioned a Newsom versus Trump face-off in 2028, the California governor demurred about his own intentions. But, Newsom said of Trump, "You think he's joking about 2028? You think when he brings foreign leaders to the Oval Office and he goes to the White House store … and he shows them the 2028 hats that he's not being serious?" "Wake up," he told the audience. If it doesn't stop Trump's assault on Democracy, he said, "You will lose your country." More:Gavin Newsom tops Kamala Harris in 2028 presidential poll of California Democrats Newsom has recently garnered headlines and a larger social media following for attacking Trump more aggressively via his governor's social media account on X, frequently mocking the president's "all caps" and exclamation points style of tweeting. The22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1951, expressly limits a president to two terms in office. The rule was established following Franklin D. Roosevelt's four-term presidency, according toscholars at U.S. Constitution.net. Before that, they said, the two-term tradition was an unwritten rule, set by George Washington when he stepped down after his second term. Earlier this month, Trump said this month he would"probably not" runfor an unconstitutional third term. But he has openly toyed with the idea, telling foreign leaders visiting him in the White House that his supporters want him to do it and showing them "Trump 2028" hats. During his POLITICO interview, Newsom described a moment during his90-minute Oval Office meeting with Trumpin February when Trump pointed to a painting of Roosevelt. Newsominterpreted that as a nodto Trump's desire to serve a third term, POLITICO reported. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Gavin Newsom says Donald Trump wants an illegal third term in office
