Leavitt Urges Newsom and Bass to Collaborate With Trump

Former press secretary Karoline Leavitt called for California officials to engage with the Trump administration.

Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Remote Work

Bold flat-color editorial illustration showing a minimalist silhouette of a legislative dome, representing political policy tension. — Former press secretary Karoline Leavitt has publicly called on Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass to pursue cooperative policy efforts with the Trump administration. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Should local leaders prioritize cooperating with the federal executive to solve local problems?

Karoline Leavitt recently urged California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass to pursue cooperation with President Donald Trump. Leavitt argues that collaboration is necessary to improve conditions within California.

Why it matters

The call for cooperation highlights the deep political divide between state leadership and the federal administration. This tension stems from conflicting approaches to governance, particularly regarding federal authority over state assets.

President Donald Trump federalized 4,000 California National Guard troops in June 2025 and deployed 4,700 troops to Los Angeles. Governor Gavin Newsom previously met with President Trump in the Oval Office for 90 minutes in February 2025.

The players

Karoline Leavitt

She served as the White House press secretary until August 2026.

Gavin Newsom

He is the Governor of California who has publicly questioned the viability of working with the current federal administration.

Karen Bass

She serves as the Mayor of Los Angeles and has been urged to seek greater collaboration with the federal government.

Donald Trump

He is the President of the United States who oversees federal deployments and National Guard federalization.

Izzy Gardon

A representative who cited the federalization of state troops as a reason for resisting closer cooperation with federal leadership.

The details

Izzy Gardon rejected the suggestion of partnership, pointing to the federalization of California National Guard troops as a primary barrier to cooperation. Newsom himself declared in March 2026 that working with the Trump administration was not doable.

February 2025: Governor Newsom met with President Trump in the Oval Office.
June 2025: President Trump federalized 4,000 California National Guard troops.
March 2026: Governor Newsom stated that working with President Trump is not doable.
August 2026: Karoline Leavitt left her post as White House press secretary.
October 23, 2026: Leavitt appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher.

Market Landscape

The ongoing friction between state leadership and the federal government reflects a pattern of jurisdictional disputes over state National Guard units. This struggle for control marks a departure from traditional state-federal cooperation models during domestic crises.

Residents in California face uncertainty as the state and federal government remain at odds over critical policy implementation and troop presence. This political deadlock may impact the availability of federal resources and emergency management coordination for the public.

The takeaway

Effective governance often requires navigating complex relationships between disparate political powers. Californians should monitor how these state-level tensions influence federal funding and resource allocation in their region.