Congressional lawmakers representing some of the bluest parts of the country say they won’t let Donald Trump walk over their states’ local governments, even as Democratic state legislatures prepare for a fight over Republicans’ agenda.
“We realize this is a new administration and he wants to come in and do things his way,” said Maryland Rep. Kweisi Mfume, whose district encompasses nearly the entire city of Baltimore. “We’re not going to be intimidated. If there are areas we can work together on, we will. If not, we will stick to our principles.”
Trump has acknowledged that his agenda on immigration and crime necessitates cooperation from state and local governments.
“We’re going to be focusing on crime in the cities, and we’ll work with Democrat governors and Democrat mayors, and I look forward to doing it,” Trump said on NBC News earlier this month.
Trump was light on specifics — though he took a shot at Democratic leaders in calling for their partnership. “If you look at the 25 worst places, they’re just about all Democrat-controlled cities and states,” he said.
Already, states are preparing for Trump to take revenge. In Massachusetts, where Democrats have a legislative supermajority, state Rep. David Linsky said the party is now worried about Trump “weaponizing the federal government against states like Massachusetts” for not complying with his demands.
“For example, we’re a sanctuary state effectively,” Linsky said. “He’s made threats about withholding federal funding from states that do things like that.”
Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren are working “feverishly,” Linsky said, to transfer the billions in approved federal funding for a Massachusetts bridge project before Trump’s inauguration.
In Minnesota, where the party is fighting to protect its governing trifecta, state House Speaker Melissa Hortman told NOTUS that Democrats in “both chambers plus the [Tim] Walz administration” are currently inspecting “all of state government to find out where the most potential harms possible to Minnesotans” from Trump’s agenda are.
Hortman’s concerns include Trump’s plans for immigration, which include eliminating pathways to legal citizenship and large deportation efforts.
In California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom called lawmakers to come together for a special session in early December to prepare for potential legal fights with Trump. One piece of legislation introduced would set aside $25 million for the California Department of Justice to sue the Trump administration if necessary.
“This is our proactive way of saying, ‘Let’s begin to think about the lessons learned between 2016 and 2020 and also make decisions not that are reactive, but that are preparatory,’” said California state Sen. Monique Limón. “We need a defense mechanism.”
In Congress, Democratic lawmakers are hesitant to outline what a working relationship with a Trump administration could look like, questioning his tactics and rhetoric.
“Trump on crime is like bringing a hammer to a surgical ward,” said Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson, who represents part of Atlanta. “More jail cells, harsher penalties … that hard, punitive approach to crime while ignoring the social predictors.”
“I am optimistic but also realistic,” said Illinois Rep. Jonathan Jackson, whose district covers part of Chicago. “Some of Trump’s words have been very caustic, and I’d like to hear more of a tone of compassion and care.”
Jackson told NOTUS last week that Trump could demonstrate a willingness to work with Democrats on crime by speaking out against Jordan Neely’s death. Instead, Daniel Penny, who was acquitted last week for holding Neely in a chokehold until he was unresponsive in a subway car, was Vice President-elect JD Vance’s guest at the Army-Navy football game over the weekend.
“I welcome that partnership with Trump as long as he is sincere and genuine,” said Rep. Shri Thanedar, who represents Detroit in Congress.
Criminal justice was a core issue in both Democratic and Republican campaigns in the lead-up to the 2024 election. Despite facing several indictments, Trump cast himself as the candidate who would “deliver law, order, safety and peace.” His tough-on-crime agenda included advocating for the death penalty for child rapists and traffickers, backing immunity from prosecution for police officers and a pledge to send “federal assets” like the National Guard to address crimes in cities, among other goals to protect law enforcement.
Democrats, too, elevated public safety in some of the biggest races of the cycle. For example, North Carolina governor-elect Josh Stein ran ads touting his work to clear North Carolina’s backlog of thousands of untested rape kits.
“Democratic governors have prioritized public safety to keep families and residents of their states safe for years, and will continue to do so,” said Emma O’Brien, states press secretary at the Democratic Governors Association. “This is just another area where Democratic governors have served as examples of how Democrats can win in tough states and take on the biggest everyday issues.”
An October Gallup poll found that although Americans’ perceptions of crime in the U.S. have improved since last year, still a majority of U.S. adults say the problem of crime is “extremely” or “very” serious in the country. A majority also think the criminal justice system is not tough enough.
Democrats don’t object to the need to tackle violent crime, but recognize that their approach isn’t always aligned with Republicans.
Not every policy proposal from Republicans should be a fight though, some Democrats told NOTUS.
“As elected officials, it is our obligation to find common ground,” said Rep. Erica Lee Carter, who represents Houston, Texas. “President-elect Trump uses very dangerous and hurtful words at many times. But if he can align with local Democrats on policy, don’t deny your residents things that could benefit them just because we don’t like some of the other things that this person has done.”
Going into the new Trump administration, Democrats feel much more prepared with a firewall to block state-level action. When Trump won in 2016, there were 29 Democratic majorities in state legislatures. This time, there will be at least 39 Democrat-controlled chambers. Also in 2016, there were six Democratic trifectas, and now there are 15.
“We’ll see some chaotic action or some sort of dismantling or reneging [from Trump] on a responsibility that our federal government has had to our communities, and just saying, ‘Hey, states deal with it,’” said Heather Williams, the president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. “So, Democratic legislators will be able to pick that up and deal with it, expanding these rights and freedoms for their communities.”
Democrats recognize their limits though.
“It’s going to be tough because federal law preempts state law in so many areas, and the budget impact could be massive,” Hortman told NOTUS, pointing to one of Trump’s stated goals of eliminating the Department of Education.
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Calen Razor is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.