‘Trump’s reign of terror must end’: California Democrats plot national return to power

‘Trump’s reign of terror must end’: California Democrats plot national return to power Emboldened by recent wins, elected officials gathered in San Francisco to share strategy for a midterm ‘reckoning’ Fury at Donald Trump was the coin of the realm, as thousands of California delegates, activists and elected officials gathered in San Francisco this weekend, emboldened by a string of victories and confident the Golden State would help deliver a power check on the president in the upcoming midterm elections. On Saturday, Democrats streamed through the Moscone Center convention complex, sporting lanyards emblazoned with Gavin Newsom ’s name and tote bags adorned with one of Nancy Pelosi ’s favorite aphorisms: “We don’t Agonize, we organize” – symbols of a party in transition as the former speaker approaches retirement and the term-limited governor eyes a presidential campaign. “Trump’s reign of terror must end,” declared Pelosi in her remarks, whose long legacy Democrats honored throughout the weekend with tributes and speeches to their “forever speaker”. Adam Schiff, the California senator and a longtime Trump antagonist, invoked the grizzly bear on the state flag as a warning to the current administration: “When you poke the bear, the bear rips your fucking head off.” Come November, he declared to a packed hall, “there will be a reckoning”. Across hours of fiery speeches and caucus meetings, speakers touted the resounding success of Proposition 50 last year – the state’s redistricting counterstrike to a Republican gerrymander in Texas. This, they argued, was a testament to California’s role both as a “blueprint” for the national party and a bulwark against the Trump administration. Democrats nationwide are furious with the president after more than a year of sweeping policy changes – massive healthcare cuts , a sprawling deportation campaign and the use of federal power to target political opponents and blue states. But in California, the clash has felt personal. The...