Representative Maxine Waters said Thursday that President Donald Trump is working toward a civil war.
The California Democrat told reporters at a press conference for the Congressional Black Caucus in Virginia that Trump’s policies during his first two months in office were not haphazard but purposeful.
“I’m worried that Trump is on the edge of creating a civil war,” Waters said. “He alluded to it more than once. He alluded to the fact that if he did not get reelected, that there could be a civil war.”
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email Friday morning.
Why It Matters
Waters has made a similar claim before, but her remarks Thursday are some of the fiercest from congressional Democrats since Trump’s return to the White House. Democratic voters and commentators have been calling for a stronger response from the party’s representatives.
What To Know
Speaking alongside fellow Black House Democrats, Waters addressed policies from the Trump administration that she saw as problematic, including the tariffs on Mexico and Canada, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and the firing of federal workers.
Other members, including New York’s Yvette Clarke, also spoke about the impact of Trump’s policies over the past two months. Clarke said Trump’s executive orders had raised the cost of living rather than lowered it as he had promised, but Waters took a stronger stance.
“This president is putting us in a position where hungry people are going to be on the street,” Waters told reporters. “Where nonprofits, who were waiting for their checks, are not going to get them. Where seniors waiting for their Social Security check will not get it. Where poor families with children will not get what they believe the government has agreed to do.”
Rep. Maxine Waters speaks at a news conference with members of the Congressional Black Caucus in Leesburg, Virginia, on March 13, 2025. Inset: U.S. President Donald Trump. Rep. Maxine Waters speaks at a news conference with members of the Congressional Black Caucus in Leesburg, Virginia, on March 13, 2025. Inset: U.S. President Donald Trump. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Samuel Corum/Sipa USA via AP Images
The California congresswoman said she believed the president expected confrontation and violence and anticipated a civil war. Waters added that Democrats would stand up to this plan and not be provoked into violence.
“It places responsibility on us to live and do like Dr. Martin Luther King taught us to do,” she said. “He taught us to organize and protest, but he taught us nonviolence.”
During his 2024 campaign, Trump said that if he was not reelected, there could be “a bloodbath,” which some took to mean violence would break out should he lose.
He was also seen as responsible for inciting violence at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, following his defeat to Joe Biden.
The president has also called for America to move forward as one country. In his inauguration speech, he heralded the “golden age” of the United States, portraying himself as a leader who could bring a divided nation together.
Clarke was quick to say that Waters was speaking for herself and not the wider Democratic Party.
The party, which lost control of both chambers of Congress in November, has struggled to find a cohesive voice in recent months. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer faced backlash Friday after helping the GOP’s spending bill move forward.
What People Are Saying
New York Representative Yvette Clarke told reporters: “It is very clear that what Donald Trump is doing right now is violently impacting the communities that we represent. Whether that ultimately ends in a civil war remains to be seen.”
Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor: “I believe it is my job to make the best choice for the country to minimize the harms to the American people. Therefore, I will vote to keep the government open and not shut it down.
“Trump has taken a blowtorch to our country and wielded chaos like a weapon. For Donald Trump, a shutdown would be a gift. It would be the best distraction he could ask for from his awful agenda.”
What Happens Next
While Trump still sees support for many of his policies, he is also facing backlash for actions taken in recent weeks. On Friday, thousands of veterans will protest in Washington, D.C., over proposed cuts to Social Security, federal job losses for veterans, the pardon of January 6 rioters and reductions in veterans’ health care services.
Republican representatives continue to be heckled at their town halls across the country.
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