Blue-state governors form ‘non-partisan’ team to battle Trump admin

The “nonpartisan” Governors Safeguarding Democracy will be headed by the two Democratic governors. According to its website, the group will "leverage the collective strength, experience, and institutional knowledge in governors' offices across the country to craft laws and policies that protect the rule of law and serve the people of our great states."

When Pritzker told the New York Times about the group he stated, “Donald Trump is going to bring people into his administration who are absolute loyalists to his cult of personality and not necessarily to the law.”

He added, “Last time, he didn’t really know where the levers of government were. I think he probably does now. And so I think that the threat remains great.”

The coalition stated that it would share information and tools with governors' offices nationwide and collaborate with legal professionals, think tanks, and democracy advocates to develop policies, potentially in opposition to the president-elect.

"In this moment, protecting democracy has never been more relevant or important, and doing so demands strong leadership at the state level," Gov. Polis said in a press release. "Governors Safeguarding Democracy shows our shared dedication to defending the democratic principles upon which our country is built."

On its website, GSD stated that it would collaborate with other states to create "playbooks" that will help governors "anticipate and swiftly respond to emerging threats" to democracy. According to the website, the group will also "design affirmative strategies to protect the rule of law in the states" and "reinforce key state institutions" to safeguard democratic entities such as state courts, executive agencies, and elections.

The Times reported that Julia Spiegel, who is one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s top former legal advisors, will hold a head staff position in the group.