California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) proposed a “Trump-proof” legal fund of $25 million to fight against the incoming presidential administration.
Newsom said in a statement, as reported by the Los Angeles Times, “California is a tent pole of the country — from the economy to innovation to protecting and investing in rights and freedoms for all people. We will work with the incoming administration and we want President Trump to succeed in serving all Americans.”
“But when there is overreach, when lives are threatened, when rights and freedoms are targeted, we will take action,” Newsom said. “And that is exactly what this special session is about – setting this state up for success, regardless of who is in the White House.”
According to a document from the governor’s office, Newsom is “seeking up to $25 million for the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and state agencies to defend against unconstitutional or unlawful federal government actions, challenge federal overreach in court, and take administrative actions to reduce potential harm.”
The fund will “help safeguard critical funding for disaster relief, health care, and other vital services that millions of Californians depend on daily,” the document reads. “It will also position the state to defend against unlawful federal actions that could jeopardize not only tangible resources and the state’s economy, but also immeasurable protections, such as access to reproductive health care, access to clean air and water, and fundamental civil rights.”
Democratic Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel introduced legislation to set aside $25 million for a legal fund plus an additional $500,000 for “initial case preparation,” the newspaper explained.
“While we always hope to collaborate with our federal partners, California will be ready to vigorously defend our interests and values from any unlawful action by the incoming Trump Administration,” Gabriel said. “We know from President-elect Trump’s statements — and from the more than 120 lawsuits that California filed during the first Trump Administration — that we must be prepared to defend ourselves. We’re not going to be caught flat-footed.”
Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-CA) condemned the move on X, asserting that Newsom “doesn’t want to relinquish our national lead in gas prices, housing costs, taxes, homelessness, poverty, or illegal border crossings.”
“In the House, I’ll use every possible tool to Newsom-proof our state,” he wrote.
