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California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, on Tuesday argued that President Donald Trump and his administration have a “relentless, unhinged California obsession.”
In a letter to the state legislature, Newsom touted the state’s achievements during the State of the State address on its 175th anniversary of statehood. The governor also posted a clip of himself delivering a shortened version of the address on social media.
Newsom has not delivered a formal State of the State address the last three years, despite decades of tradition of doing just that. He has instead opted for letters and prerecorded videos.
“We are now nine months into a battle to protect the values we hold most dear and to preserve the economic and social foundation we built for California,” Newsom wrote. “We are facing a federal administration built on incompetence and malicious ignorance, one that seeks the death of independent thinking.”
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California has been a target for the Trump administration over issues such as immigration, in which federal raids targeting migrant workers over the summer sparked protests against arrests and deportations. Newsom butted heads with the administration over its move to deploy the National Guard and the Marines to the Los Angeles area to respond to the demonstrations and support immigration enforcement.
The federal government has also cut funding for the state’s long-delayed high-speed rail project, rolled back the state’s rule prohibiting the sale of new gas-powered vehicles and sued the state over a law that allows transgender girls to compete on sports teams matching their gender identity rather than their biological sex.
California, meanwhile, has filed 41 lawsuits against the administration.
Earlier this year, state lawmakers approved giving $50 million to the state’s Department of Justice and other legal groups to help preserve its progressive policies.
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Newsom said California is also challenging the president’s move to suspend funding to the University of California, Los Angeles, over allegations of antisemitism on campus and affirmative action.
“It would be a mistake to think California is cowering in the face of this onslaught,” Newsom said.
The governor’s letter also detailed what he described as the state’s achievements, including the state’s resiliency and quick recovery effort after the wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year, as well as advancements in tech, green energy and education.
Newsom also lauded the state’s tens of thousands of young volunteers and a tax credit program to bring back Hollywood productions.
State Republicans contended that Newsom, seen as a potential presidential candidate in 2028, is focusing more on boosting his national profile rather than on working on issues in the Golden State, with James Gallagher, the GOP leader of the state Assembly, citing the state’s ongoing budget deficits, its homelessness crisis and high costs of living.
“Stop refusing to show up and actually do the work of being a governor,” Gallagher said in a video posted to social media.
Gallagher also criticized Newsom’s push for a U.S. House redistricting plan to boost Democrats and potentially win control of the chamber ahead of the 2026 midterms. The move by California lawmakers was done in response to a similar Trump-endorsed effort by Republican lawmakers in Texas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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