California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is taking steps to address crime even as he emerges as a vocal critic of President Trump’s law-and-order crackdown, demonstrating how pressing the issue is for his party heading into 2028.

Newsom criticized Trump’s decision to send the National Guard into Los Angeles earlier this year amid protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, and has risen as a top potential contender for his party in the next presidential election. But he has also enacted policies like sending crime-fighting forces into major California cities and breaking up homeless encampments.

His actions lay out a potential pathway for how Democrats can navigate the crime issue as the GOP goes on offense with charges that their policies are soft.

“It recognizes and acknowledges that we still we have to fight crime, of course,” said California Democratic strategist Maggie Muir. “We have to do both. We have to stand up to Trump and acknowledge that we still have to fight crime but also acknowledge and be very clear that Trump's efforts are not there to be helpful.”

Polling has regularly showed that the public perceives crime to be a significant problem, and Republicans are in the lead among voters who consider it to be one of their top issues. The GOP regularly accuses Democrats of being soft on crime, most recently concerning the stabbing of a woman in Charlotte, N.C., on public transportation on Friday.

“That has become the norm in Democrat-run cities, where........

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