The clash between Gavin Newsom and Donald Trump is fundamentally a battle over the unspoken rules of power. Newsom’s decision to break the norm of Oval Office confidentiality is a direct response to his accusation that Trump wants to break the far more important norm of presidential term limits.
For generations, American politics has been governed not just by laws, but by a shared understanding of norms and traditions. Newsom’s argument is that Trump has systematically dismantled these norms, from the peaceful transfer of power to the respect for democratic institutions. “Apparently there are no rules any more,” Newsom stated, summarizing this new reality.
In this context, Newsom’s breach of protocol is a form of asymmetric warfare. He is arguing that it is futile and naive to adhere to polite conventions when your opponent is willing to challenge the Constitution itself. His “fight fire with fire” motto is a call to adapt to this new, norm-free political landscape.
This conflict raises a profound question for American democracy: what happens when the unspoken rules collapse? Newsom is betting that the only way to save the most important rules (the law) is to be willing to break the lesser ones (the norms).