r/bayarea • u/Front-Resident-5554 • 1d ago

Politics & Local Crime California to Negotiate Trade With Other Countries to Bypass Trump Tariffs

https://www.newsweek.com/california-newsom-trade-trump-tariffs-2055414
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u/MD_Yoro 1d ago

How is this possible as a state of USA.

I thought legally, no state can enter trade negotiations with any foreign country. Only the federal government has that authority.

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u/kokopelleee 1d ago

By law, it is not possible.

But that's irrelevant given that the current administration has made it clear that they are not required to follow the law.

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u/MD_Yoro 1d ago

Okay, then what is stopping the federal government from just seizing control of California state office by force?

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u/NewUserWhoDisAgain 1d ago

You mean declare martial law? Nothing? Just like there's nothing stopping Newsom from saying "look at new opportunities to expand trade" "

Its essentially meaningless.

My guess is that its to provoke some absolutely lunatic out of pocket response from DC regarding this.

Besides its only illegal if someone does something about it. See: Current Admin

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u/kokopelleee 1d ago

nothing.

Nothing is stopping it.

The entire united states government is based on the honor system. We are told there are "checks and balances" but those only exist if each branch honors them. As we are very clearly seeing, Executive branch can do whatever they want. Judicial can make rulings, but they have zero enforcement authority.

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u/ShoulderGoesPop 1d ago

Optics. A lot of politics is all about optics. That would probably be too far extreme for the majority of the country to allow at least at this current moment.

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u/IHateLayovers 1d ago

The largest National Guard being the California National Guard.

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u/runsongas 1d ago

except under 10 USC, they can be activated and subordinated to the US Army and Air Force, hence why guard units were activated and sent to Iraq/Afghanistan during the WoT. They aren't strictly a state militia.

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u/IHateLayovers 1d ago

And the Guard can be mobilized by the State.

I'm a Guardsman now, former active duty.

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u/runsongas 1d ago

and that's the trillion dollar question, if both Gavin and Trump try to mobilize the CA NG against the other, who will they obey.

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u/IHateLayovers 1d ago

We'll see. I'm a company grade officer. Former active current Natty G.

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u/MD_Yoro 1d ago

I highly doubt the National Guard is going to go against the U.S. military or even have the capability if they tried

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u/IHateLayovers 1d ago

The NG is the U.S. military.

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u/MD_Yoro 1d ago

You sure? I was told the NG are the old state militias that states used to have and that state governors have control over NG for most situations

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u/IHateLayovers 1d ago

I'm a former active duty Army officer current Natty G officer. I know what I'm talking about. I live this, you read about it.

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u/dontich 1d ago

As dumb as trump is idk he would order an invasion of California

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u/runsongas 1d ago

I definitely believe he would if Newsome escalated it into something directly challenging federal authority

It would be a total Eric Cartman respec muh authoriteh tantrum