SAN JOSE, Calif. – Democratic U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) described the Trump administration as the “most corrupt administration” in U.S. history and warned that the U.S. is “clearly” sliding into autocracy.
“The threats to our future are very real and severe,” she said.
In a wide-ranging interview with Stanford Journalism MA students on Oct. 23 at her district office in San Jose amid the government shutdown, Lofgren said Congress is doing “almost nothing” right now.
The shutdown is the second-longest in U.S. history. Many federal employees — about 250,000 of whom work in California — have been furloughed, while others are continuing to work with the legal promise of back pay although President Donald Trump said not everyone would definitely be compensated. “It depends on who we’re talking about,” he said on Oct. 7.
Lofgren repeatedly expressed frustration that Democrats can’t issue subpoenas and don’t have standing to bring lawsuits against what she described as numerous illegal moves by the Trump administration.
She presented a lengthy list of alleged executive overreach, including laying off federal employees amid the shutdown, deploying National Guard troops against governors’ orders, enacting tariffs without congressional approval and withholding appropriated funds.
Lofgren also cautioned university leaders against trying to cut deals with the administration to avoid losing funding.
“Some of them erroneously believe that somehow they could make a deal,” she said. “Well, that’s not going to happen because that’s not really the goal. The goal is to destroy this element of American society, to promote autocracy and authoritarianism.”
Lofgren has served in Congress for three decades. She represents Santa Clara, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. With a “Yes on Prop 50, Save Democracy” button pinned to her lapel, Lofgren – who is a lead proponent of the proposition to temporarily redistrict the state – had come to the interview straight from seeking yes votes from union members. Texas’ decision to redistrict to yield additional Republican House seats prompted the California ballot measure.
Trump “has created an emergency situation here that calls for an emergency response,” she said.
“ I think most people want at least an opportunity for the House to switch control so that we will once again have some kind of check and balance on an executive branch that’s gone wild,” Lofgren added.
Polling shows the proposition is likely to pass on Nov. 4.
Federal agent SF deployment called off
San Francisco had been bracing for the arrival of federal immigration agents. But Trump announced on his Truth Social account on Oct. 23 that they wouldn’t be deployed after Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Mayor Daniel Lurie persuaded him to call it off. Lofgren said she was trying to determine if Santa Clara or Alameda County would also be targeted.
In a sign of how broken the communication lines have become between House Democrats and the administration, Lofgren said of Bay Area tech CEOs: “We are going to see if they can call [Trump].”
Lofgren, who chairs the state’s Democratic congressional delegation, believes Trump is prepositioning troops in Democratic cities across the country so they’ll be available to prevent voting in next year’s midterm elections.
“ It’s very clear that Trump wants to prevent even elections,” she said. “He wants to keep power at any cost.”
Lofgren expressed repeated frustration about the Republican majority in the Senate and House of Representatives.
“They will not stand up to Trump,” she said.
On Oct. 22, State Sen. Scott Wiener of San Francisco launched his campaign for Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s seat in Congress.
“I don’t know what Nancy’s intention is,” Lofgren said. “If she does run, I would support her.”
Pelosi is 85 years old and Lofgren, who is 77, said she thinks Wiener’s challenge stems from Pelosi’s age.
“Yes, she is old,” Lofgren said. “But she’s top of her game.”
A “generation of scientists” lost
Lofgren said the U.S. will lose a “generation of scientists” because of universities pausing or limiting the admission of doctoral students due to the lack of research funding.
For states like California, home to research universities, tech companies and one of the country’s largest STEM workforces, the region depends on the steady flow of federal investments, graduate talent and training, and the preservation of scientific institutions.
“Either they’re going to go into a different field or go to a different country,” she said.
Lofgren also called for the firing of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has “replaced scientists with a bunch of crackpots and kooks who don’t know anything.”
“They’ve got a nutcase in charge of NIH,” she said.
This story was reported by: Claire Barber, Anders Eidesvik, Tatiana Geroulanou, Helena Getahun-Hawkins, Anna Hoch-Kenney, Eleanor Jackson, Audrey Kim, Meisi Li, Kenzie Possee, Michal Ruprecht, Brianna Sosa, Emily Tarinelli and Ziyu (Julian) Zhu.
