Scholar Warns Newsom’s Bid to Lead Progressive Movement Mirrors Danton’s Fatal French Revolution Miscalculation

California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent self-description as “an established insurgent” exemplifies a contradictory political posture that mirrors the fatal errors of French Revolutionary figure Georges Jacques Danton, according to legal scholar Jonathan Turley. Turley argues that Newsom’s attempt to simultaneously position himself as both institutional and revolutionary leaves him vulnerable to the very radical movement he seeks to lead.

Drawing parallels to his book “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution,” Turley traces how Danton, a prominent lawyer during the French Revolution, initially rose to power as justice minister and Committee of Public Safety member by fueling revolutionary fervor. Yet as Danton fed the mob’s appetite for executions and class warfare, he ultimately lost control of the movement he had helped unleash, eventually facing the guillotine himself on April 5, 1794.

Turley contends that contemporary progressives, including Newsom and Representative Ro Khanna, are pursuing similar strategies by embracing radical institutional reforms while hoping to insulate themselves from the consequences. Both men, despite their substantial wealth—Khanna reportedly worth at least $360 million—are positioning themselves as socialist allies to secure the far-left’s support.

Recent electoral gains by leftist candidates, including Minnesota’s gubernatorial primary success and near-victories in Wisconsin and New Hampshire, demonstrate the growing influence of Democratic Socialists within the party. Turley warns that Newsom’s polling disadvantages against figures like Pete Buttigieg and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggest voters recognize authenticity over performative radicalism.

According to Turley, Newsom faces an impossible calculation: the radical wing increasingly demands wholesale constitutional reforms and Supreme Court restructuring, making incremental appeasement insufficient. History suggests that those who attempt to harness revolutionary movements ultimately become expendable to them once their usefulness expires.