Podcast Summary

Podcast: This is Gavin Newsom
Episode: And, This Is Trump’s Attack on Voting Rights with Jasmine Crockett
Release Date: August 20, 2025
Host: Gavin Newsom
Guest: Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)

Overview

This episode features a candid, urgent discussion between California Governor Gavin Newsom and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, a rising star Democrat and civil rights attorney from Texas. The pair dig into recent, sweeping attacks on voting rights, including Donald Trump’s vow to restrict mail-in voting, Texas’s aggressive gerrymandering, and the militarization of the National Guard and ICE. The conversation centers race, democracy, and the stakes for everyday Americans, blending stark warnings with strategies for resistance and reform.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Voting Rights and Texas Gerrymandering

• Newsom opens the conversation by highlighting Crockett’s leadership amid unprecedented attacks on democracy in Texas.

  • Refers to restrictive actions by Texas government and racial dynamics undermining democracy.
  • ([04:02]) “This isn't about me as an individual. This is about our collective democracy... We are setting a dangerous precedent, one that could forever dismantle our democracy." (Crockett)

• Congresswoman Crockett describes the severity and racial targeting of state actions:

  • Texas legislature is actively incarcerating elected officials, redrawing lines to undermine minority representation.
  • Texas is a “majority-minority” state, yet the map manipulations minimize the voices of people of color.
  • Calls Texas Gov. Greg Abbott “a minion” to Donald Trump, prioritizing Trump over Texans’ rights.
  • ([04:02]) "I'm looking at a state that is taking state actions against a duly elected black woman to basically incarcerate her against her constitutional rights." (Crockett)

2. Collapse of Norms and the ‘Pattern Interrupt’

• Newsom asks how to wake people up to the gravity of these threats:

  • ([05:54]) “The fact that so much is being normalized in this country as we're watching democracy slip through our hands... What do we need to do to wake people up?”

• Crockett emphasizes the current “moral catastrophic combustion”:

  • Urges a return to basic right vs. wrong.
  • Loss of standing as a beacon of democracy globally as freedoms erode.
  • ([06:43]) “We right now are having a moral catastrophic combustion... can we afford to take the high road? Not while they continue to take away more and more rights.”

• Newsom questions the ‘two wrongs don’t make a right’ narrative:

  • Crockett replies firmly:
    • ([09:34]) “No, I don't. Two wrongs are about to make it right in two seconds, that is for sure... It's messy... but it is the right thing.”

3. National Voting Rights Context & John Lewis Act

• Connecting to the failed push for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (2021):
  • Crockett recounts Texas Democrats’ 2021 walkout trying to protect voting rights.
  • The Senate’s refusal to break the filibuster left states like Texas free to pass discriminatory laws.
  • Without strong voting rights, all other rights become vulnerable.
  • ([12:19]) "If we don't have voting rights, we get no other rights whatsoever... if there's ever a need for a carve out, it is on behalf of making sure that we can expand access to the ballot box.”

4. Trump’s Attacks on Mail-In Voting and Republican Strategy

• Newsom references Trump’s new pledge to restrict mail-in voting, despite his personal use of absentee ballots.

  • Highlights California’s high mail-in participation (80% in 2020).
  • ([21:55]) "What do you make of this latest effort by the President?"

• Crockett’s response:

  • Confirms this is a targeted attack on working class and minority voters.
  • Voting innovations during COVID-19 (drive-through, 24-hour voting) were rolled back precisely because they enabled broader participation.
  • GOP policies are calculated to reserve voting for the privileged few.
  • ([21:55]) “Participating in elections should just be reserved for the privileged few... they don't have anything good for people of color... or working class people.”

• Democratic timidity vs Republican aggression:

  • Urges Democrats to match Republicans’ assertiveness in defending rights and expanding participation.
  • ([25:57]) “People want to see Democrats be just as aggressive as Republicans are when they are trying to introduce regression into this country.”

5. Militarization: National Guard, ICE, and the Shadow of Authoritarianism

• Newsom contextualizes the surge in use of military force:

  • National Guard federalizations.
  • Deployment of Border Patrol and ICE as “private army.”
  • Draws chilling historical parallels (e.g., Japanese internment sites).
  • ([41:58]) “I see a future where ICE shows up to those lines... not just the National Guard called out...”

• Crockett’s insight on these tactics:

  • Explicit racial targeting (Black woman mayors/cities).
  • Election monitors and gun laws intimidating marginalized voters.
  • Warnings about unlawful expansions of power and lack of meaningful oversight.
  • ([29:07]) “It is very dystopian... militarization. And obviously it started in your state. That was kind of the testing grounds... Now, we are in yet another black woman led city in taking over... racism is racism and you are specifically targeting these black led areas.”
  • ([45:02]) On ICE: “I think that there are no limits that ICE will not go... These are people that should not be law enforcement at all.”

6. Private vs. Public GOP Sentiments/Impact of Gerrymandering

• Crockett describes Republicans quietly admitting their opposition to Trump’s policies (e.g., tariffs) but refusing to publicly break ranks for fear of primary challenges.
  • ([34:30]) “They absolutely were against the tariffs and when given an opportunity to do what's right... they were afraid about being primary(ed)... one of the worst parts of gerrymandered districts.”

7. Congresswoman Crockett’s Political Story & Philosophy

• Crockett recounts not being 'cultivated' for politics—she’s the opposite of a career politician and instead driven by the urgency of the moment:
  • Won her State House seat by just 90 votes.
  • Quickly advanced to Congress due to grit and constituent engagement, not establishment sponsorship.
  • ([51:31]) “I was not interested whatsoever [in politics]... It does a disservice for the people that you're serving if you're literally just there trying to get somewhere else.”
  • On impact: “Understanding my impact on the outside gives me my fuel to stay on the inside. But it's tough... I'm like, I'm not here to be here forever. Like, I didn't know I'd be here at all, right? So I need to make the best of this moment." ([51:31])

8. 2025 Redistricting & Future Ambitions

• Newsom notes that Texas maps specifically eliminate or redraw Crockett’s district.

  • Crockett: She could run elsewhere, but now three Democrats must contend for just two seats.
  • Both draw attention to the personal cost of these anti-democratic tactics.
  • ([57:14]) "They drew me out of my district... The other two colleagues are both in Republican drawn seats now, so they would have to run from outside or move..."

• Rumors about Crockett’s Senate run:

  • Crockett confirms ongoing consideration, but is data-driven and strategic.
  • Decries the double-standard in Texas, where “a 34-count convicted felon” is in the White House, and indicted politicians dominate the GOP.
  • ([59:08]) “I want people to be selfish and decide that you're going to look at what somebody is going to do for you... it's time for people to... understand what government is supposed to do...”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [04:02] Crockett: "I'm feeling overwhelmed. And if you are paying attention, you should also feel that way. This isn't about me as an individual. This is about our collective democracy."
• [06:43] Crockett: "We right now are having a moral catastrophic combustion... This really isn't about whether or not you believe in the Democratic platform or the Republican platform. This is truly about whether or not we believe that as Americans that freedom should be real, that we should treat everyone as equals..."
• [09:34] Crockett: "Two wrongs are about to make it right in two seconds, that is for sure."
• [12:19] Crockett: "...We were trying to throw up our democracy and scream to the top of our lungs at that point. And unfortunately... the Senate... did not have the support to go ahead and move past the filibuster for the purpose of voting rights. And I think that if we don't have voting rights, we get no other rights whatsoever."
• [21:55] Crockett: "Participating in elections should just be reserved for the privileged few. They don't want it to be something that allows the masses to participate in."
• [29:07] Crockett: "It's very dystopian... racism is racism and you are specifically targeting these black led areas."
• [34:30] Crockett: "They were afraid about being primary(ied)... one of the worst parts of gerrymandered districts because ultimately they are having to go as far right as possible to end up making it out of their primary..."
• [51:31] Crockett: "...understanding my impact on the outside gives me my fuel to stay on the inside. But it's tough... I'm not here to be here forever. Like, I didn't know I'd be here at all, right? So I need to make the best of this moment."
• [59:08] Crockett: "I want people to be selfish and decide that you're going to look at what somebody is going to do for you... government isn't supposed to take you to church... if you are seeking... separation of church and state, then you probably need to go find you an actual statesman who absolutely understands what it is to take care of us..."

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:02] - Crockett on Texas’s current anti-democratic environment and democracy in peril
• [06:43] - Loss of morality and the decline of American democracy’s global reputation
• [09:34] - “Two wrongs are about to make it right” and the necessity of bold action
• [12:19] - 2021 Texas ‘quorum break’ and failure to pass John Lewis Voting Rights Act
• [21:55] - Response to Trump’s mail-in ballot crackdown; Republican strategy to disenfranchise
• [29:07] - Militarization, National Guard, ICE, and the specter of pre-civil rights era suppression
• [34:30] - GOP hypocrisy, fear of primaries, and dangers of gerrymandering
• [41:58] - National Guard and ICE as tools of voter intimidation and executive overreach
• [51:31] - Crockett’s political story, drive, and approach
• [57:14] - Effects of redistricting/Personal cost; future House seat dynamics
• [59:08] - Senate rumors, campaign realities, and call for constituent "selfishness"

Tone and Language

• Crockett: Direct, impassioned, incisive, frequently drawing on personal experience as a Black woman and a civil rights attorney.
• Newsom: Urgent, probing, supportive; highlighting systemic connections and historical echoes.

Conclusion

Governor Newsom and Congresswoman Crockett pull no punches outlining how systematic attacks—from gerrymandering to militarization—are dismantling democracy in real time, particularly for communities of color. Crockett’s story, candor, and calls to action echo throughout, leaving listeners with a clear portrait of what’s at stake and what kinds of leadership and public pressure are required to meet the moment.