California Governor Jerry Brown was expected to deliver a combative State of the State address on Tuesday, as he outlined his plans to fight President Donald Trump’s policies on immigration, Obamacare and climate change. He did that — but departed from his prepared text to praise Trump’s commitment to spend federal funds on infrastructure and to use union labor.
Brown stated:
Fourth is infrastructure. Now, here’s a topic where the President has stated his firm intention to build and build big.
He then ad-libbed:
And, in fact, he met with several labor leaders yesterday, and committed to a $1 trillion investment in public works across America. And I say: Amen to that, man! Amen to that, brother! We’re America!
The legislature responded with a standing ovation.
Brown continued:
Here’s what the president said in his inaugural address: “We will build new roads, and highways, and bridges, and airports, and tunnels, and railways all across our wonderful nation.”
And in this, we can all work together – here in Sacramento and also in Washington as well. We have roads, we have tunnels, we have railroads, and even a dam that the president could help us with.
He then interjected: “We should get some applause there, shouldn’t we?” He was referring to Republicans in the legislature, who have consistently pushed him to build more dams to increase the state’s water storage as a response to the recent drought.
On other issues, Brown took a firm stand against the federal government, and vowed to continue the Golden State’s left-wing policy orientation: “California is not turning back. Not now, not ever.”
Brown began the session by swearing in California’s new Attorney General, former U.S. Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA).
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He was named one of the “most influential” people in news media in 2016. His new book, How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.