The California governor seems gleeful to have been received in the court of the Communist kingpin.
In case you missed it — which would be understandable, as your news feed is likely filled with updates on the war in Gaza and the latest antisemitic rampage on U.S. college campuses — Gavin Newsom, the almost-recalled California governor who shares an uncanny resemblance to every 1980s movie villain, has spent this past week traipsing around Xi Jinping’s China. The purpose of his visit? To preach California’s unwavering support in their joint battle against climate change, of course!
This isn’t satire, folks. (Although the Babylon Bee did do a great hit on the visit.)
Newsom began his visit with a climate-themed discussion at the University of Hong Kong. (Greta Thunberg’s presence at this discussion was, surprisingly, unreported.) He told the audience they “can rely on California” and addressed claims that the United States is not a reliable ally.“I want you to know, regardless of what happens nationally, sub-nationally, you have a partner in the State of California,” he said.
Newsom then moved onto Bejing. In the photos gathered from various outlets, Newsom looks quite gleeful to have been received in the court of the Communist kingpin. He positively glowed on Wednesday as he shook hands with Xi in the Great Hall of the People.
The two leaders reportedly swapped nostalgic stories about the Golden State among their discussions of climate change, trade, and communist camaraderie. (That last point is an inference of the author.) According to the official summary of their meeting, Xi “happily recalled his visit to California,” possibly referring to a summit with President Barack Obama at the Sunnylands estate in Rancho Mirage in 2013.
In a statement after the meeting, Newsom said that he had “made it clear to Chinese leaders that California will remain a stable, strong and reliable partner, particularly on low-carbon green growth.”
“Divorce is not an option,” the governor said. “The only way we can solve our climate crisis is to continue our long-standing cooperation with China. As two of the world’s largest economies, the work we do together is felt in countless communities on both sides of the Pacific.”
James Gallagher, the leader of the Republican caucus in the California state assembly, described Newsom’s visit as “the make-believe president tour.” Newsom’s visit does smell like the parade of a national dignitary rather than that of a governor of a U.S. state.
Now, I am well aware that certain U.S. states can have especial relationships with other nations — oftentimes, industries that rely on other nations as their primary market can loom large in a state. (Minnesotan soybean farmers know a lot more about Southeast Asia than most folks in D.C. do.) However, lobbying for your state’s agricultural product abroad is quite a different project from affirming your state’s alliance with a foreign power “regardless of what happens nationally.” That would be analogous to, say, Wisconsin affirming its support of Germany in the 1930s, “regardless of what happens nationally.”
Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution enumerates the powers of the federal government with regard to foreign affairs. Congress is granted the power to “provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States,” “regulate Commerce with foreign Nations,” “declare War,” “raise and support Armies,” and “provide and maintain a Navy.”
In Section 9 of Article 1, the Founders remind us that “no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under [the U.S.], shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”
I am very curious if Newsom accepted any presents from Xi, other than his magnanimous hospitality and the warmth of his winning smile. (Perhaps this would qualify for recall round two?)
Section 10 of Article 1 is the real kicker:
“No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; . . . No State shall, without the Consent of Congress . . . enter into any Agreement or Compact with another State, or with a foreign Power.”
In the spirit of high-minded evenhandedness, Ron DeSantis, too, probably deserves some criticism on this front — according to a spokesman for the Florida governor’s office, DeSantis recently sent cargo planes loaded with health-care supplies, drones, body armor, and helmets to Israel to aid its war effort. While it was pretty Top Gun of DeSantis to take matters into his own hands, the act of equipping other nations at war, ostensibly to “provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States,” really does seem like a power reserved for Congress.
Congress, of course, has been a bloody mess these past few weeks — an engorged chicken running around with its head chopped off. But now, more than ever, is the time for America to display a united front abroad. Presidential hopefuls (or pretenders) should resist these roguish temptations for the greater good of the nation.