Rob Bonta says he is confident Democrats will retain control of the White House with Kamala Harris, one of his predecessors, leading the party’s ticket. However, California’s attorney general, a pragmatic politician, is simultaneously preparing for the possibility of another term for Donald Trump and what that could mean for the Golden State.
“We have seen what Donald Trump has done in the past when he’s been president,” Bonta said in an interview with “Inside California Politics” host Nikki Laurenzo at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday. “He has singled out and targeted Democratic states like California for whatever personal vendetta or reason … and we have fought back.”
California sued the first Trump administration more than 100 times over its policies on climate, immigration and consumer protections, among others.
In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court, with the help of three Trump appointees, overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, ruling that the Constitution does not establish a right to abortion. While it remains unclear if or when Republicans will seek a national abortion ban, Bonta says his office is actively preparing for that possibility.
“We’ve heard the conversation evolve. We’ve heard Supreme Court Justice nominees declare in public confirmation hearings that they believe Roe v. Wade is a precedent to be respected and that they would honor it. And the first chance they had to do the opposite, they did,” he said. “I give my team instruction: Prepare for a national abortion ban.”
Bonta’s preparations include developing arguments on jurisdiction and constitutionality to be presented to the courts.
“Is it legal? Is there federal authority to issue it?” Bonta questions. “Preparation is the best antidote for challenges and the best way to be successful. I’m not confident that a national abortion ban is lawful, constitutionally.”
For his part, Trump has stated that he believes abortion limits should be left to the states and insists he would not sign a federal ban.
Despite his concerns about the Supreme Court’s current composition—with six justices nominated by Republicans to just three by Democrats—Bonta affirmed his commitment to honoring the rule of law, win or lose.
“We will honor the Supreme Court’s decisions, even if they are not what we had hoped for, but we will do everything in our power to challenge any unconstitutional actions, including a potentially unconstitutional national abortion ban.”
That fight, if it comes, is for another day.
For now, Bonta is soaking in the enthusiasm surrounding the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz ticket at the DNC and doing what he can to support their November bid.
“It’s been phenomenal. We’ve loved every second of it. Being on the floor with our California delegation front and center, watching all of the speeches, this incredible flow of talent … showing this deep bench in our Democratic Party, all talking about the person that we know,” said Bonta.
