The High Road Forsaken
Newsom's Gambit and the Dawn of a New Political Calculus
Michelle Obama’s memorable statement of enduring humility which she made during the 2016 Democratic National Convention, "When they go low, we go high," served as a moral compass for a political era grappling with a profound shift in civic decorum. It was a call to rise above vitriol and adhere to a standard of grace and integrity, regardless of the opposition's tactics. However, nearly a decade of relentless political polarization has led many to question the efficacy of this high-minded approach. The argument that it has failed to quell a more ruthless political adversary has gained traction, giving rise to a grimly pragmatic revision: "When they go low, we make sure that they do not get up." This stark reframing of political engagement found a powerful, real-world expression in California Governor Gavin Newsom's press conference of August 15, 2025, where a confluence of aggressive strategy and perceived intimidation tactics signaled a potential new chapter in American politics.
The setting for this political drama was the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles, a location Newsom noted was chosen to "stand up against authoritarianism."[1] There, he announced a bold and controversial plan: to ask voters to approve the redrawing of California's congressional districts for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections.[1] This was an explicit and direct response to former President Donald Trump's call for Republicans to redraw congressional maps in Texas to their own advantage.[2] Newsom's strategy was not couched in the traditional language of bipartisanship or taking the high road; it was an open declaration of strategic retaliation. He stated, "we cannot unilaterally disarm," framing the move as a necessary counter-punch to what he described as a Republican effort to "rig these elections."[3]
The theme of "fighting fire with fire" permeated the event, representing a significant departure from the Obama-era philosophy.[2][3] Newsom and his allies argued that to adhere to ideals of independent redistricting while their opponents aggressively gerrymander would be a form of self-sabotage, effectively guaranteeing that the "harm of this Trump administration... is guaranteed to go unchecked."[1] This sentiment suggests a core belief that in the face of an existential threat to democracy, the old rules of engagement no longer apply. The modified quote, "we make sure that they do not get up," resonates in this context as a philosophy of political survival, where the primary objective is to neutralize a threat, not merely to occupy a morally superior position.
The political theater intensified dramatically with the appearance of masked U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents outside the press conference.[2][4] Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and other observers immediately labeled their presence a "provocative act" and an "act of intimidation."[2][4] While the White House did not confirm that Trump directly sent the agents, the display was widely interpreted as a show of federal force intended to disrupt and menace a political opponent.[2] In an interview following the event, Newsom asserted that the act inadvertently proved his point. "He made our point," Newsom said of Trump. "Not only is he rigging the election, he's trying to ruin and wreck democracy."[2]
This incident vividly illustrates the "they go low" element of the equation. The deployment of federal law enforcement agents at a domestic political press conference, which had no connection to immigration or border security, was seen by many as a gross overreach and a tactic more befitting an authoritarian regime than a democratic republic. It provided a stark example of the hardball tactics that, critics argue, cannot be effectively countered by simply "going high."
In this charged environment, Newsom's redistricting proposal is cast as the necessary response to prevent the opposition from "getting up." It is a strategic move designed not just to win the current news cycle, but to alter the fundamental balance of power in the House of Representatives for cycles to come. By refusing to "sit silently while extremists manipulate elections," as one supporter at the conference put it, California Democrats are adopting a posture that prioritizes victory in what they see as a fight for the nation's future over adherence to process for its own sake.[1]
This shift is not without its perils. Critics would argue that embracing the tactics of the opposition, even in self-defense, risks eroding the very democratic norms one claims to be protecting. It can lead to a perpetual cycle of escalation, where each side justifies its own norm-breaking as a necessary response to the other's actions. The high road, for all its perceived failures, was also a call to preserve a space for civil discourse and potential compromise. The new calculus, while perhaps more effective in the short term, may ultimately lead to a political landscape so scorched that no one can find firm footing.
Yet, for a growing contingent, the luxury of such concerns has expired. Governor Newsom's press conference and the aggressive federal response it provoked may be remembered as a moment when the theoretical debate over political strategy was settled by the stark realities of power. The sentiment that one cannot "play kumbaya" when "our democracy is at stake" is a powerful one.[3] It recasts the debate from one of etiquette to one of exigency. In this view, Michelle Obama's aspirational quote, a product of a different time, has been supplanted by a more brutal logic. The events of August 15, 2025, suggest that for some of today's political leaders, the only viable path forward is to meet the opposition on the low road and ensure there is no path back up.
The theme of a recalibrated and more confrontational political calculus is not limited to the domestic sphere. It finds a striking parallel on the international stage, as exemplified by a high-stakes meeting in the Oval Office. In a significant departure from traditional diplomatic protocols, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was joined by a cohort of European leaders—including those from Britain, France, Germany, and Italy—for a meeting with former President Donald Trump to negotiate a potential end to the war in Ukraine.[5][6][7]
This united front from European nations is a direct response to a new, unpredictable era in American foreign policy under Trump.[8][9] The European contingent's presence has been described as an unprecedented diplomatic intervention, aimed at preventing a peace deal that could be highly unfavorable to Ukraine, potentially involving significant territorial concessions.[10][11] This move was largely influenced by a previous and notably contentious Oval Office meeting where Trump and Vice President JD Vance had publicly berated Zelenskyy, creating a spectacle of diplomatic discord.[12][13][14][15]
The European leaders' decision to act as a collective bloc in their dealings with the U.S. president underscores a recognition that the old rules of engagement no longer apply. Faced with an American administration perceived as more transactional and less bound by traditional alliances, they have adopted a strategy of "fighting fire with fire" on the diplomatic front. Their joint presence in the Oval Office is a clear signal that they view the current U.S. approach as a departure from the past, necessitating a more unified and assertive stance to safeguard their collective security interests and support for Ukraine.[8][10] This mirrors the domestic political shift confronted by Newsom, where established norms are being discarded in favor of a more results-oriented, and at times, confrontational, approach.
Call to Action:
What has been articulated above represents the precise, uncomfortable, and necessary evolution of this political moment. The high road, as traditionally conceived, has proven to be a unilateral disarmament pact in the face of an adversary who sees rules not as a foundation for civil society, but as mere obstacles to be bypassed, broken, or exploited.
The examples of Governor Newsom and the European leaders are not a descent into the lawlessness of the opposition. They represent something far more sophisticated and vital: the adoption of a strategic, clear-eyed realism. They have understood that when an opponent is fighting a street brawl, you cannot win by remaining in the boxing ring, waiting for a bell that will never ring and a referee who has been paid off.
This is not about breaking the law. It is about mastering it. It is about understanding the system, with all its intricacies and yes, its loopholes, not to dismantle democracy, but to defend it from those who would. It is the skillful application of every lever of power, every procedural nuance, and every legal avenue available to us. It is fighting fire not with fire, but with the focused, overwhelming, and legally sound power of the fire department.
Our call to action, then, must be recalibrated from an appeal to our better angels to a summons of our sharpest minds and strongest wills.
This is a call to be shrewd. To be relentless. To be unapologetic in the defense of our republic. It is a demand that our leaders and we, the people, stop hoping for a return to a political era that no longer exists and instead, master the tools of the one we are in. We must support and demand leaders who are not just principled, but also pragmatic enough to win the fights that matter.
The highest principle at stake is the survival of democracy itself. If that means using the rules as skillfully and aggressively as our opponents do, not to subvert the will of the people but to protect it, then that is not a compromise of our values. It is the highest expression of them. When an adversary is dedicated to burning down the house, the first responsibility is not to debate the color of the drapes, but to seize every tool available to put out the fire—and hold the arsonist accountable. The time for passivity is over. The time for strategic action is now.
References:
1. YouTube. (2023, December 7). LIVE: Gavin Newsom speaks on California’s plan to redraw congressional maps [Video]. YouTube.
2. SFGate. (2025, August 15). Newsom, Trump tensions escalate after border agents crash conference. https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/border-patrol-agents-outside-newsom-event-20819598.php
3. YouTube. (2024, February 5). Newsom destroys Trump in viral press conference; he can't handle it [Video]. YouTube.
4. CBS Los Angeles. (2025, August 15). Border Patrol agents in L.A. show up outside of California Gov. Gavin Newsom's redistricting press conference. https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/border-patrol-gov-gavin-newsom-news-conference-los-angeles/
5. CBS News. (2025, August 18). Trump-Zelenskyy meeting live updates as leaders hold Ukraine talks at White House. https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-zelenskyy-meeting-white-house-ukraine/
6. Fox News. (2025, August 18). Zelenskyy, EU leaders visit Trump amid Putin peace deal negotiations: Live updates. https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/trump-zelenskyy-white-house-meeting-ukraine-russia-peace-deal
7. The Guardian. (n.d.). US foreign policy. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/us-foreign-policy
8. Council on Foreign Relations. (2025, August 12). High-stakes peace talks with Ukraine. Council on Foreign Relations. https://www.cfr.org/article/high-stakes-peace-talks-ukraine
9. YouTube. (2025, August 18). Trump to host Zelenskyy, European leaders at White House | The Pulse 8/18/2025 [Video]. YouTube.
10. Courthouse News Service. (2025, August 17). Zelenskyy faces Trump ultimatum as Europe rallies to stop Ukraine partition. https://www.courthousenews.com/zelenskyy-faces-trump-ultimatum-as-europe-rallies-to-stop-ukraine-partition/
11. Newsweek. (2025, August 17). Trump pushes for trilateral meeting with Putin, Zelensky. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/trump-zelensky-meeting-end-war-russia-putin-updates-2115028
12. Wikipedia. (2025, August 18). 2025 Trump–Zelenskyy Oval Office meeting. In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Trump%E2%80%93Zelenskyy_Oval_Office_meeting
13. CBS News. (2025, August 18). Zelenskyy's White House meeting ends in blowup with Trump and Vance over Ukraine's future. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-rare-earth-minerals-trump-zelenskyy/
14. YouTube. (2025, August 18). Watch tense Oval Office argument between Zelensky, Trump and Vance [Video]. YouTube.
15. CBC News. (2025, August 18). Trump, Vance shout at Zelenskyy in heated Oval Office meeting. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-ukraine-white-house-1.7471542