Last week, I introduced what many have called the “No Kings” bill, to ensure that presidential candidates appearing on California’s ballot meet the clear eligibility requirements laid out in the U.S. Constitution.

Donald Trump’s has repeatedly attacked California’s electoral process, eroded our democratic norms, and has openly flirted with running for a third term. The need for this legislation has never been more urgent. No president or candidate is above the Constitution — period.

When Donald Trump treats the rule of law as a suggestion, including Constitutional term limits and decades-old election laws, it directly undermines our democracy. California leaders have a duty to reaffirm and reinforce the guardrails that separate the U.S. from a monarchy or dictatorship, and this ballot integrity bill does exactly that.

SB 46 is a straightforward, common-sense safeguard. It empowers the California Secretary of State to enforce existing constitutional requirements, including presidential term limits, so voters are not placed in the impossible position of casting ballots for candidates who are legally ineligible to serve. The bill applies equally to all future candidates, includes due process protections, and mirrors ballot integrity practices already used in other states.

The bill has already drawn significant attention from state and national media, underscoring the solemn seriousness of the constitutional issues at stake.

This legislation reflects how I have approached my work throughout my career: protect democratic institutions, uphold the rule of law, and fight corruption wherever it threatens the public trust.

The threat to our democracy is real and it’s coming from a president who has shown open contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law. The prospect of a “Trump 2028” campaign only underscores how fragile our democratic norms have become and how determined some are to test the limits of power. We cannot afford to look the other way or hope someone else will step up.

Throughout my public service, I’ve sworn to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I’ve never backed down confronting abuses of power, and I will continue to stand firm in its defense.