Last month, only a day after Trump defeated Kamala Harris in the presidential election, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a special session to discuss “Trump-Proofing”. That day finally came this Monday, December 2nd and included encouraging lawmakers to approve a $25 million dollar bonus litigation fund in preparation for Trump to take office. If passed, “the California Department of Justice and state agencies would get the extra[$25 million] funding for court battles in areas such as reproductive rights, environmental protection and immigration”(Reuters).
In Trump's 2016-2020 presidency, it has been reported that California spent nearly $42 million on litigation and filed 122 lawsuits against the Trump Administration (National). According to Newsom’s office, the spending on lawsuits “resulted in tens of millions of dollars more in federal reimbursements, billions of dollars in savings for California consumers, and protected billions of dollars in federal funding”(National). One example of California's success against Trump's budget-cutting policies would be back in 2017 when Trump issued immigration enforcement conditions on certain law enforcement grants. California's Attorney General Xavier Beccera responded by suing the administration. He stated, the administration “cannot manipulate federal grant fund requirements to pressure states, counties or municipalities to enforce federal immigration laws,”(Calmatters). California's Public Safety $28 million dollar a year grant was on the line, but two years later, after the Ninth District Court of Appeals upheld an injunction in the case, the federal government had to award California $57 million (Calmatters).
California also joined other states as plaintiffs against Trump's unconstitutional civil rights bans such as his Transgender Military Ban and his attempt to repeal legal protection for DACA recipients. This largely ended in success as the Transgender Military Ban obtained a nationwide injunction and the court rejected Trump’s attempt to repeal legal protections for DACA recipients, siding with plaintiffs in the case, including California (Sacbee). The lawsuits display a trend of legal warfare between presidents and attorneys general from opposing parties that grew exponentially during the Obama administration.
If this $25 million dollar increase for litigation is approved, Newsom asserts that the fund “will help safeguard critical funding for disaster relief, health care, and other vital services that millions of Californians depend on daily”. He added that the state plans to “defend against unlawful federal actions that could jeopardize not only tangible resources and the state’s economy as well as protection of reproductive health care and civil rights” (Reuters).
Unsurprisingly, Trump issued a social media statement in response to Newsom’s unrelenting battle against his policy agenda stating, “He is using the term 'Trump-Proof' as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to 'Make California Great Again,' but I just overwhelmingly won the Election”(CBS News). Newsflash, Trump; winning the election does not allow implementation of civil rights violations.
If all goes well, Newsom’s office expects the special budget legislation to be signed into law before Trump’s inauguration on January 20 (Reuters). California's fight against Trump's executive authority displays the struggle between Federal control and states’ autonomy.
Sources:
https://calmatters.org/justice/2021/01/california-cost-trump-lawsuits/
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article244692807.html
https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article188901094.html
18 comments:
While I support protecting the rights and well-being of Californians and safeguarding funds for healthcare and disaster relief, many of Gavin Newsom's actions are troubling. It seems to me that rather than doing his job to support the state of California, Gavin Newsom is waging a political dogfight against Donald Trump and conservatives. Raising a "war chest" to fight against Trump's policies, months before he even takes office seems to be based more on fighting conservative efforts, than helping California. Keeping millions of dollars simply to fight conservatives is an irresponsible way of governing funds, especially considering the $68 Billion budget deficit that the state faces. Earlier this month, Newsom clashed with Elon Musk, proposing a new California EV tax credit that would leave Tesla out and encourage the sale of electric vehicles from other companies such as Rivian and Lucid. Tesla is the only electric vehicle company in California that manufactures cars at the Fremont plant, bringing jobs and money to the state. Despite this, Newsom's actions seem politically fired against Musk, who has been a prolific Trump supporter. I think Newsom has been thinking far too much about Trump and should start thinking about California.
I think there is value to the litigation funds Newsom is fighting for, especially because they have worked in the past when Trump was president. Additionally, Newsom isn't acting alone — he's backed by several other states, adding more credibility into his fight against Trump. However, there is a possibility that Newsom will run for President in 2028, meaning this fight against Trump could very well be motivated by self-interest. Such as incumbents do when they want to run for re-eelction, Newsom is already thinking about his future, laying out the framework for it. If he counters Trump now, if he shows to the nation that he can work against the harmful policies especially about women's rights and border control, then he will be seen on the same playing field as a two-term US President. Democrats will love him, and all the more if Newsom succeeds and Trump fails miserably.
I'm a little suspicious of Newsom's motives behind this litigation fund request. He recently visited the California-Mexico border (a day after this post), supposedly to provide support to migrants. This sudden visit is something that I never expected Newsom to do--it may very well be part of his plan to distinguish himself from Trump and his policies, which Newsom overtly despises. Also, in early September Newsom vetoed two bills regarding immigration; he's clearly showing a different side here, and combed with
his litigation request, Newsom really does want to stampede Trump's efforts. Is Newsom doing all of this for the betterment of his state, or is this politically motivated by some other reason? A bit crazy that Newsom is making all of these startling decisions right after Trump's success in the election.
Looking at the comments, I understand why many are suspicious of the real motives behind Newsom's actions. Is he taking such large strides simply to protect the state, or is it a way to remind Trump of his power? Either way, based on the widespread support for these decisions from both government officials and the general public, it’s unfortunate that we feel the need to protect crucial rights from the leader of our country. It says a lot about how different the values of California and Trump truly are.
I think though som may be suspicious of Gavin Newson's reactionary policy to the election as it may be for political advantage over actual help for the state I would say that even if for now it is more for the politics it is to early to say that this was the only reason. As if these litigation funded by the new litigation fund prove to actually be supporting California in immigration and on other civil rights issues then personally I don't have an issue with Gavin gaining political advantage as well as the benefit. On the other hand though if these really end up not passing or not helping and since he did it in good timing being right after the election still gaining that boost that he is defending against trump will likely still help him politically regardless of how they do. In short If they work then a boost in his politics is fine but if they don't people should see through that and not let this boost his political stock.
Although some of Governor Newsom's actions could be a little suspicious, I think Governor Newson is preparing for Trump to go into office according to everything he saw during his last term. There is some clear tension between the state and federal government even before Trump's term starts which is very concerning for the future of California and the rest of the US. All the past issues concerning DACA and the Transgender Military Ban show a victory on California’s side which shows California’s ability to win court cases and Newsom wants to continue. Trump’s response to what Governor Newsom did was predictable, but Trump is forgetting one thing, just because he is going to become president doesn’t mean he has the power to do anything he wants. Governor Newsom is protecting the values that California knows for and holds dear, and it seems that Newsom already has a plan to protect that.
While I can see how others are viewing this as suspicious, I agree with Melody that there is value to these litigation funds. I don't think Newsom is doing this just for political advantage: this genuinely benefits Californians. These legal victories ensure the protection of key policies that protect healthcare access, reproductive rights, and environmental regulation, safeguarding many resources and policies that Californians depend on. After all, during Trump's first term, California relied on litigation to protect its state sovereignty and won victories in environment, immigration, and healthcare policy. I don’t think this is just reactive - this is also a proactive effort to protect the rights of California residents. Also, it’s disheartening to see how the federal government and the states have become so divided, to the point where states feel the need to protect themselves against the federal government. This highlights the importance of federalism, allowing states to accurately serve their constituents.
Gavin Newsom's decision to request litigation funds clearly has mixed intentions. While I agree that he's putting up a fight against Trump and taking the necessary precautions to ensure Californian's rights, I do think there's some ulterior motives. The next election for CA Governor is coming up in 2026 and in this time where a blue state such as California is extremely distraught at Trump's win, I think Newsom is establishing himself as a savior. Especially when it comes to civil and trans rights, California as a more liberal state is seeking the protection of rights they fear will be stripped from them by Trump. I believe this "Trump proofing" to be beneficial for Californians but more importantly, beneficial for Newsom's future as governor.
How I see it is that Newsom’s move to set aside $25 million for legal battles against Trump feels like a smart play but I agree with the comments that it is definitely suspicious. I think the suspicious part comes from people seeing how much this can help Newson politically which might be his true motivation. California has always been the state fighting for things like reproductive rights, immigration, and the environment. Trump’s tweet about Newsom trying to “stop great things” is laughable—what’s so great about taking away people’s rights or cutting health care? Newsom’s making it clear California’s not backing down which I do think is important to protect rights people fear Trump might take away.
I agree with your point about the importance of addressing ethical concerns before nominees reach critical stages, but I think the issue goes deeper than just reforming the process. To me, this situation highlights a troubling trend where political loyalty seems to outweigh qualifications and integrity. The fact that Gaetz was even considered for Attorney General despite the ongoing allegations shows how far partisanship has skewed the nomination process. While I appreciate the checks and balances that stopped his appointment, it shouldn’t require public outrage or last-minute withdrawals to maintain accountability. Do you think the current system for vetting candidates is sufficient, or should we rethink how nominations are handled to prioritize qualifications over political loyalty?
I dont see the suspicion in Governor Newsom’s plan. A $25 million litigation fund shows his dedication to protecting California from Trump’s policies. California has a strong track record of winning legal battles against Trump, defending important issues like immigration, civil rights, and the environment. I think this fund would help the state continue to fight for its residents and push back against harmful federal actions. This all highlights the tension between state and federal power.
I think Newsom may be preparing for his own presidential campaign sometime in the future, especially because he's termed out as California governor. It's a popular thing to run on change, so I think that by acting as a vocal opponent of Trump, it will give Newsom the platform to appeal to those who are unhappy with the state of America at the end of Trump's second term. Although Newsom's actions likely personally benefit him, I still think the plan to fund legal battles against Trump seems like it aligns with what most Californians want (considering California is a strong Democratic state).
I do believe that he is doing this because it will help California protect its citizens against Project 2025 and other policies that the Trump administration can bring that threaten the freedom of people's rights. He, obviously, is also playing a political game to counteract Trump, but they does not necessarily devalue his actions of making California have the ability to fight for its rights if it comes to that, especially looking at the track record in the past of being able to fight against such legislation. Also, I would like to mention that I do think that it is ironic how Trump and Republicans criticize the overreach of the federal and states' rights while also overreaching at the same time. It really sheds light onto how many politicians are just playing a game to get their agenda done, no matter who they promise to be, especially as he flaunts how he just won the election, seeming to think that gives him all the power.
I feel like designating money to specifically defend against the literal president is just a sign of how polarized and our country is, even though I think it very well may be an appropriate response to Trump's election. The label of "Trump-proofing" itself feels petty, but I suppose it's appropriate in the face of Trump, who seems to love petty shorthand (like Sleepy Joe and Crooked Hillary). I'd be interested to see if this kind of thing -- governors bracing their state for a presidency in this very transparent way or being openly against the president -- is common, or if it has been common in the past. Either way, I'm glad as a Californian that Governor Newsom is willing to stand against Trump and hopefully protect the rights of those in our state.
I think Governor Newsom's push for the litigation fund to defend California against potential federal overreach is justified in protecting California residents and managing the power dynamic between the state and federal government. While it’s understandable that California would want to protect its citizens from harmful policies, especially regarding civil rights and environmental protections or Trump-proofing California. Though necessary for the state’s interests, suggests a growing trend of state governments positioning themselves in direct opposition to federal authority. There is a clear divide between the state and national government, and I think while it may be a sign of our more polarized nation, it also generates the ease of mind for states, in general, to secure their own values through the courts rather than blindly cooperating with the federal government. I do wonder if other states will follow this decision, and whether this would create a shift towards moving away from the federal government as Trump comes into power.
Governor Newsom’s proposed 25 million litigation fund really highlights California’s commitment to maintaining its values and defending its powers despite trump’s new administration. Hopefully the strategic fund works as they do have a history of winning legal challenges. Their efforts aim to protect reproductive rights, environmental safeguards, and civil liberties for the people in the state. I think it is great that they are making sure they have all of the legal defenses against a possible federal overreach and it shows strong leadership from Newsons part with his proactiveness in addressing the situation.
First of all I would like to note that the man on the left of Newsom is a famous actor, so it really isn't just Republicans using famous people like Elon Musk in their campaigns. People that are famous just have a lot of influence, and both parties use that. Secondly, it is crazy the number of things that this blog listed that California and the upcoming administration see differently on. They are basic ideological differences on things like LGBTQ rights that really make California seem like a completely different country than most of the US. It's times like this where I wonder if Brutus’ ideas maybe had some merit, and that power in smaller areas is a better idea. Yet, if his ideas had won out, the North never would have been strong enough or had the will to defeat the Confederacy. This is why compromise is important, and why its so bad that we seem to have lost that concept recently
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