Wed, 7 Oct, 2026, 10:00 am
Reported by TIME
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Left: Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom in New York City on Sept. 23, 2026. Right: President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 6, 2026.
Donald Trump is mentally ill,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom told TIME and other media outlets in a statement after the President made remarks Monday suggesting an attack by Iran on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego would be “a small price to pay.”
TIME FOR THE 25TH!” Newsom added, in apparent reference to the 25th Amendment , a constitutional provision that establishes procedures for presidential succession and for replacing or declaring a President unable to perform their duties. Newsom has referred to the 25th Amendment before , alongside other lawmakers and critics, who have suggested that, among other things, Trump’s struggle to find an off-ramp for the war he started with Iran in February—and his expressions of willingness to let civilians in Iran and the U.S. die en masse—suggest that he is unfit to hold office.
The California politician, serving his last term as governor, is widely seen as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in the 2028 election. Newsom and Trump have clashed over a host of issues, including immigration enforcement , environmental and climate policy , and state funding .
