GOV. BROWN WARNS PRESIDENT TRUMP: "DON'T MESS WITH CALIFORNIA"

By Chris Jennewein, Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association

Photo:  Gov. Jerry Brown on NBC’s Meet the Press. Image from broadcast

March 27, 2017 (Sacramento) -- Gov. Jerry Brown warned the Trump administration Sunday that attacking California over immigration “could blow up in your face in a giant recession.”

Brown, who is in Washington and appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” said the Trump administration should be careful interfering with the Golden State because of its size and economic power.

“California is America. We’re 12 percent. We’re a key part. The export capital going into the Pacific. We’re the innovation capital,” the governor said. “You don’t want to mess with California because you’re going to mess with the economy and that could blow up in your face in a gigantic recession and roll the Republicans right our of this town.”

Trump has said California is “out of control,” but Brown defended the state’s record on job creation and innovation, and said immigration is a key contributor to the state’s dynamism.

“Last year we created 400,000 jobs or more. So the taxation, the regulation, the immigration — the 2 million undocumented people — all that is contributing to the most prosperous economic engine in the world,” he said.

If California was a separate country, it would have the sixth largest economy, ahead of France but behind the United Kingdom.

Brown, who was a Jesuit novice before turning to law and politics, said Trump’s planned wall along the Mexican border isn’t “Christian” and has the “odor” of totalitarianism.

“The wall to me is ominous. It reminds be too much of the Berlin wall,” he said.