As President Donald Trump pushes the limits of executive power — from threatening programs for low-income students to wielding tariffs like political cudgels — some Democratic state officials are pushing back. Hard. Here are three striking examples of that resistance just this week:
Maine's governor refuses to flinch
Gov. Janet Mills has never been one to back down from a fight — especially not with Trump. Flash forward to 2025, and Trump is once again targeting her state, this time over transgender student athletes.
Mills' response? Total moral clarity:
"This isn't just about who can compete on the athletic field," she said in a statement. "It's about whether a President can force compliance with his will, without regard for the rule of law. I believe he cannot."
That kind of clear-eyed courage, especially when kids' basic needs are on the line, matters more than ever.
California takes Trump to court
If California were its own country, it would be the fifth largest economy in the world. That also means it has a lot to lose if Trump's tariffs tank the economy. And California Attorney General Rob Bonta isn't taking any chances.
Bonta has filed suit, arguing that Trump is abusing the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act to bypass Congress and impose tariffs unilaterally. Tariff authority belongs to Congress, not the Oval Office. But with Republican lawmakers largely staying silent, Bonta is stepping up.
As he put it, you can't invent "bogus national emergencies" to grab power.
Washington state schools double down on diversity
Trump's threat to cut off federal education funding to states that won't eliminate diversity programs isn't going over well in Washington state.
In a letter to the administration, state Superintendent Chris Reykdal emphasized diversity and inclusion are "core values" in Washington schools, and said he would not capitulate.
Even though his schools rely on Title I funding for low-income students, Reykdal made it clear: the rights of kids come first.
Around a dozen states have so far refused to go along with Trump's directive to gut DEI programs in public schools.
Read more exclusive insights from Jen Psaki here. And tune into "Inside with Jen Psaki" Mondays at 8 p.m. ET, and Sundays at 12 p.m. ET on MSNBC.
