California Governor Gavin Newsom took a firm stance against President Trump on Saturday during a rally addressing the contentious redistricting success in Texas.

“We’re facing a challenge akin to an invasive species, one known as Donald Trump,” Newsom declared to the assembled crowd in Houston.

He continued, “Indeed, he is a president of historic proportions—historically unpopular, as shown by every significant metric.”

Trump’s approval ratings have been on a downward trend since he began his second term in office.

A poll conducted by CNN/SSRS, released on Monday, indicated that only 37 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s performance in the White House, while a substantial 63 percent expressed disapproval.

Recent polling also shows large shares of Americans blame the president and the Republican Party for the government shutdown.

Newsom has long feuded with the president, but the beef intensified earlier this year when Trump refused to meet with him amid the California wildfires.

The California governor has ramped up his criticism ahead of midterm elections with the goal of helping Democrats regain a majority in the House.

“We cannot rest until we take it back,” Newsom said on Saturday. “There is no more important race in our lifetime than the House of Representatives and taking back the House.”

This past week, voters in the Golden State approved Proposition 50, a ballot measure that allowed politicians in office to redraw congressional maps outside of the census period. It was the first redistricting effort that is poised to help Democrats, after several red states passed similar measures at Trump’s urging.

Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted 11 congressional races in favor of Democrats after Proposition 50 passed. 

Newsom’s strategy to rewire districts followed that of GOP lawmakers in the Lone Star State, which approved adopting a new map that favors Republicans in August.

Texas Democratic legislators attempted to block the effort by fleeing the state, but eventually had to return for votes.

However, on Saturday, Newsom credited those party members at the local level for sparking Democrats’ pushback on redistricting nationwide. 

“You woke us up,” Newsom said, speaking to those lawmakers. 

“You didn’t just have your back here, you had our back in the state of California.“