Ep. 5 | California's Power Grab and Political Fallout

In this episode of On Background with Susan Crabtree, Crabtree and Eric Eggers break down Gavin Newsom’s stunning victory in California’s Prop 50 election and what it means for 2028. Crabtree reveals how Newsom turned a crushing Republican defeat into a national springboard—despite his record of sky-high costs, rampant homelessness, and mass exodus from the state. They discuss how new maps could disenfranchise millions of GOP voters and set up a Supreme Court showdown. From California to New York, Crabtree and Eggers trace the Democrats’ coast-to-coast surge — and how Newsom’s political machine is already reshaping the battlefield.