Newsom tells Texas crowd taking back House is 'the whole thing' for Democrats in 2026

California Gov. Gavin Newsom in Texas on Saturday told a crowd that Democrats winning back the House of Representatives in 2026 is "the whole thing."

Newsom, 58, continued to ride high over the weekend, four days after California’s Proposition 50 — to redistrict the state’s congressional map in favor of Democrats — passed in a landslide.

Newsom also couldn’t resist taking a jab at his frequent foe, President Donald Trump.

"He is an historic president, however — historically unpopular," he told the crowd in Houston. "And he had a very bad night on Tuesday."

OBAMA CALLS NEWSOM'S CALIFORNIA REDISTRICTING MOVE A 'RESPONSIBLE APPROACH' TO GOP TACTICS

Along with Prop 50 in California, Democrats also won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia and Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani handily beat Democrat-turned-Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral election.

Proposition 50 was a response to Texas’ legislature redistricting their congressional map in favor of Republicans over the summer, and on Tuesday after Proposition 50 passed, Newsom called on other Democratic states to follow suit.

"We need to see other states, their remarkable leaders that have been doing remarkable things, meet this moment head-on as well," he said in a late-night news conference on Tuesday. "We can de facto end Donald Trump’s presidency as we know it, the minute Speaker Jeffries gets sworn in as speaker of the House of Representatives. It is all on the line."

NEWSOM SET TO RALLY TEXAS DEMS WITH VICTORY LAP DAYS AFTER PROP 50 PASSES: 'CALIFORNIA STEPPED UP'

He continued his celebration on Saturday, telling the crowd: "There were lines around the block two hours after polling had stopped because people wanted to be heard, not just seen, they wanted to send a message. But as I said, we cannot rest until we take it back."

The governor reiterated, "There is no more important race in our lifetimes than the House of Representatives, and taking back the House and getting speaker [Hakeem] Jeffries sworn in next November. It's the whole thing. It's the whole thing."

"And so that starts today," he continued. "It started on Tuesday."

Newsom added, "We can shape the future here in Texas. We can shape the future all across the South and across the United States of America. You have that power."

Trump and the GOP have spearheaded an effort to pad the party's razor-thin House majority to keep control of the chamber in the 2026 midterms, when the party in power traditionally faces political headwinds and loses seats. Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio have drawn new maps as part of the president's push.

Trump is aiming to prevent what happened during his first term in the White House when Democrats reclaimed the House majority in the 2018 midterm elections.

Although he hasn’t announced his intentions to run for president, Newsom has been widely seen as a possible frontrunner for Democrats in the 2028 presidential election.

While two other Democratic blue state governors with likely national ambitions in 2028, JB Pritzker of Illinois and Wes Moore of Maryland, are mulling new maps in their states to create one or two more blue-leaning congressional districts, Newsom has been the most visible leader so far in the redistricting wars and the first Democrat to succeed.

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.

Country singer Clay Walker admits to worsening MS symptoms nearly 30 years after diagnosis

After nearly three decades of living with multiple sclerosis, country music star Clay Walker says his health has taken a turn.

The "She Won’t Be Lonely Long" singer says 2025 has tested his strength like never before as he faces a new wave of challenges from the disease he has battled since his 1996 diagnosis.

"[I’m] definitely going through a rough patch right now," Walker, 56, admitted to People in an interview. "At the beginning of the year, I noticed I was having a lot of difficulty with balance and walking, and it really started to worry me. I knew I had to do something."

TIM MCGRAW NEARLY WALKED AWAY FROM HIS CAREER AFTER SERIOUS HEALTH STRUGGLES

Walker underwent surgery in March to implant a baclofen pump — a device that delivers anti-spasticity medication directly into the spinal fluid to help relax muscles and ease stiffness, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

"The surgery gave me a lot of hope," he said. "But so far, you know, it’s not great. It hasn’t done what I wanted it to. Balance has been an issue lately."

Doctors believe physical therapy will "dial it in properly," yet Walker admitted recovery has been slower than he’d hoped.

LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

"Am I walking perfect? No. Am I walking better? Absolutely," he said. "I got on a treadmill the other day without a harness holding me up to keep from falling, and I walked five minutes. That is progress."

Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1996 and has spent decades defying its prognosis. The disease damages the protective covering around nerves in the central nervous system, leading to symptoms like muscle weakness, numbness, vision changes and mobility issues.

When Walker was first diagnosed with MS, doctors gave him a grim forecast.

"I was told that I wouldn't be around very long and that I'd be in a wheelchair and that I would be dead pretty quickly because of the amount of lesions that I had on my spinal cord and brainstem and brain," he recalled.

SELMA BLAIR EXPOSES HOW DOCTORS MISSED HER MS FOR DECADES DESPITE CLEAR WARNING SIGNS

Walker defied those odds — and now, nearly three decades later, he’s still performing, still writing and still fighting.

"We turned everything upside down," he said. "We already won the battle, you know? We’ve got that to celebrate."

In 2026, Walker will reach a milestone of living with multiple sclerosis for 30 years.

He admitted fans have seen the effects of his condition up close during live shows — something he said hasn’t been easy for him to accept.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

"Does it bother me that people have to watch me struggle to get off stage? Yes, it does," he said. "But my band is very in tune with me, and they know if I’m struggling or not. All it takes is a glance. They are always there, especially my bass player, Curt Walsh. I’m like, ‘Dude, if you see me falling, fall in front of me so I don’t get hurt.’"

This Sunday, Walker will headline the legendary Ryman Auditorium in Nashville for the first time — a milestone that carries even more weight given his journey.

Despite the physical toll, Walker’s passion for performing keeps him going.

"My joy comes from being on stage," he said. "I mean, there is a rush of energy and endorphins that has no comparison. I don't think there's any drug that has that big of an effect. It's crazy."

The country singer booked a lineup of 2026 concert dates — and said his story is far from over.

"MS has been a journey and some of it has been pretty rough, but I’ve started to turn the corner," Walker continued to tell People. "I’m not giving up. I’m like a pit bull. You can swing me off a cliff and I ain’t letting go. So many people have so many different crosses they have to carry or bear — and this is mine."

Fox News Digital has reached out to reps for Walker.

About Us

Virtus (virtue, valor, excellence, courage, character, and worth)

Vincit (conquers, triumphs, and wins)