FilAm Attorney General vows California wll challenge Trump

California's Attorney General Rob Bonta.

California's Attorney General Rob Bonta vows to protect rights of immigrants and women targeted by the incoming Donald Trump administration.

"As the reality of a second Trump Administration takes hold, I know there is a great deal of fear, sadness, anxiety, and panic," said Bonta, the son of immigrants from the Philippines. 

"I’m here today to reassure you that in California, progress will prevail,," he said, acknowledging the threats of Trump to deport millions suspected of being undocumented.

"As Attorney General, I’ll continue to use the full force of the law and authority of this office to address injustice.

Speaking with the iconoic Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop, Bonta continued to vow, "to stand up for all people, especially those who have long been overlooked and undervalued."

Bonta's vow is not just empty bluster. During Trump's first administration, California sued the federal government more than 100 times.

"During the last Trump Administration, California DOJ fought to stop illegal rollbacks and proposals that would’ve harmed the well-being, health, safety, and civil rights of our people and of people across the country," said Bonta.

The Attorney General's statements and challenge reflects the state's electorate. Trump's policies and behavior didnpt sit well with Californians.The state remained decisively in the Democrat's corner with Kaamala Harris who won almost 60% of the votes. 

With the world's 5th largest economy, the home of the cultural messenger in Hollywood and the leader of new technology and innovation, California has an undue influence on the rest of the country. "As the saying goes, as California goes, so goes the nation," said Bonta.

California's Gov. Gavin Newsom has already fired the first salvo against the incoin administration attacking Trump's campaign promise to eliminate the tax credit for buyers of zero-emission vehicles, a payback for his supporters in the oil industry.

“Consumers continue to prove the skeptics wrong – zero-emission vehicles are here to stay, says Newsom, who has been mentioned as a possible Presidential candidate in 2028. "We will intervene if the Trump Administration eliminates the federal tax credit, doubling down on our commitment to clean air and green jobs in California. We’re not turning back on a clean transportation future — we’re going to make it more affordable for people to drive vehicles that don’t pollute.”

Among Trump's campaign promises include  deportation of millions of people, those without documentation and their families; eliminate the Department of Education; use the US DOJ to go after the people who oppose him, and cut back the social safety net including health care and Social Security.

"We know to take Trump at his word when he says he’ll roll back environmental protections, go after our immigrant and LGBTQ+ communities, attack our civil rights, and restrict access to essential reproductive care," Bonta continued. "Which means, we won’t be flat-footed come January."

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