California Democratic leadership navigates political balancing act following United States military strikes on Iran

Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Adam Schiff navigate a delicate political path, criticizing Trump's Iran strikes while backing the fall of the Tehran regime.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 2, 2026, 9:32 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from POLITICO

Dual Messaging from State Leadership

In the wake of the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, California’s leading Democrats have adopted a carefully calibrated rhetorical strategy. Governor Gavin Newsom, during a promotion for his memoir in San Francisco, labeled the military intervention a sign of weakness and described the president as a "wrecking ball." However, Newsom balanced this criticism by explicitly stating on social media that the current leadership in Tehran "must go" and must be prevented from obtaining nuclear weapons. This two-pronged approach reflects the necessity of opposing the administration’s foreign policy while validating the anti-regime stance held by many constituents.

Constituent Dynamics in Tehrangeles

The political stakes are particularly high in California, which serves as home to more than 200,000 Iranian immigrants, roughly half of the total Iranian population in the United States. In the West Los Angeles neighborhood of Tehrangeles, thousands of Persian Americans took to the streets over the weekend to celebrate the death of the supreme leader. Many demonstrators waved pre-1979 Iranian flags alongside American flags, with significant displays of support for the president’s actions. This localized surge of pro-strike sentiment complicates the Democratic narrative that the military action was a reckless escalation.

Congressional Response and War Powers

On the federal level, California representatives are threading a similar needle. Senator Adam Schiff described the strikes as a reckless act that lacked proper congressional authorization but still referred to Khamenei as a "brutal dictator." Similarly, Representative Ro Khanna, a leading advocate for a war powers vote in the House, acknowledged the repressive nature of the Iranian regime while maintaining that the strikes have not made Americans safer. The tension between celebrating the fall of a dictator and opposing the methodology of his removal remains a central point of friction within the party.