Gavin Newsom has threatened to “punch” Donald Trump in the mouth as the California Governor defended his online trolling strategy and vowed to push ahead with redistricting in his state.

The metaphorical threat was made as Newsom, a potential future presidential contender, warned that America was on the brink of authoritarianism and that “nothing about this is normal.”

“It’s not about whether we play hardball anymore - it’s about how we play hardball,” he said of Trump on Wednesday.

“We are going to fight back and we’re going to punch this bully in the mouth.”

Tensions between the White House and the California governor have escalated in recent weeks, after Trump, eager to stave off a midterm defeat, called on Texas Republicans to change their Congressional maps to create five new pote

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