California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) are offering a striking split screen in how some red and blue states are readying for President-elect Trump’s controversial second-term plans.

DeSantis this week called a special session of the Sunshine State legislature to swiftly implement Trump’s immigration agenda – a stark contrast to Newsom, who called a special session in California after the election to protect progressive state laws. And while DeSantis only appears to be strengthening his ties to Trump, Newsom is positioning himself as a leader of the Democratic resistance.

The rival governors, both stars in their respective parties, epitomize the national political divide as individual states brace for Trump’s Day 1 agenda, which includes major changes on immigration, energy and foreign policy. And as 2028 talk starts to swirl, they underscore that both parties are already looking beyond the next four years.

“It’s no secret that both of these guys want to be president and they’re jockeying now for the future,” said California-based Democratic strategist Steven Maviglio.

“They each want to play a leadership role on either side of the aisle in supporting or opposing Trump, and that is what they have in common.”

This week, DeSantis took major steps to partner with the incoming administration on immigration, a top issue for the president-elect. On Wednesday, the Florida governor announced a number of priorities for implementing Trump’s immigration agenda during the special session, including plans to appoint a state liaison dedicated to working with the administration on immigration.

A source familiar told The Hill that Trump and DeSantis had been engaged in talks about the implementation of the agenda for two to three weeks.

The Florida governor sets an example for other red-state governors seeking to further ingratiate themselves with Trump.

That’s a distinctly different response to Trump’s........

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