President-elect Donald Trump is clearly not a fan of California Governor Gavin Newsom’s high-profile, aggressive efforts to protect the state from the Trump administration’s policies. In fact, Trump took to his Truth Social account recently to vent his frustrations, using his typical biting rhetoric, referring to the governor as "Governor Gavin Newscum"—a nickname he’s used frequently in the past. Trump’s statement, which was posted Friday, came on the heels of Newsom’s announcement that he would call a special session of the California Legislature to prepare for potential Republican-led attacks on abortion rights, environmental protections, and disaster funding.
Trump's post had all the familiar signs of his combative approach to governance. "Governor Gavin Newscum is trying to KILL our Nation’s beautiful California," he wrote. He went on to claim that Newsom was undermining efforts to “Make California Great Again” by blocking the policies Trump believes would benefit the state. In fact, Trump directly addressed Newsom’s use of the term “Trump-Proof,” which the governor has used to describe the protective measures he's taking to shield California from what he sees as potentially harmful actions by the federal government.
For Newsom, this marks the resurgence of a tense and sometimes openly hostile relationship between California—a state controlled by Democrats—and the Trump administration. Newsom’s recent call for a special session of the Legislature is seen as a proactive stance in anticipation of the Trump administration’s policies that could have a direct impact on California’s laws and regulations.
Among the issues Newsom highlighted in his proclamation for the special session were concerns about potential moves to limit access to abortion medication, the possibility of a national abortion ban, the rollback of environmental protections, and the repealing of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Trump’s promise to withhold federal disaster response funding from California also looms large, especially given the state's vulnerability to natural disasters like wildfires and earthquakes.
In response, Newsom is urging lawmakers to allocate additional funding for California’s legal defense efforts. His administration plans to use these funds to mount lawsuits against the Trump administration and to prepare for any litigation that could arise from federal actions. According to Newsom’s aides, the money for this legal push will come from California’s higher-than-expected income tax revenues for the current fiscal year. The final amount will be determined in negotiations at the state Capitol, with a special session scheduled to begin on December 2.
On the other hand, Trump’s disdain for California’s Democratic leadership is clear, particularly when it comes to state policies that Trump has criticized as “insane.” In his recent Truth Social post, Trump tore into California’s political leaders, blaming them for the state’s high cost of living, the ongoing homelessness crisis, and the price of groceries, which he described as “out of control.” According to Trump, these policies are driving residents out of California, citing state data that shows a modest population growth of just 0.17% last year after a string of years marked by losses.
Trump also focused on another pet issue of his: water management. He has long been critical of the way California handles its water resources, particularly its policy of releasing large amounts of water from the north into the Pacific Ocean instead of using it to benefit the state’s towns, cities, and agricultural communities. During his speech at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf club in September, Trump promised that he would revive the battles of his first term over California’s water allocation policies. He claimed that the water, if better managed, could be used to help prevent wildfires, a frequent concern for California residents and leaders.
Trump’s attacks on Newsom’s leadership and California’s policies have only escalated in recent months. In particular, his criticism of the state’s water policies has become one of the main talking points in his feud with Newsom. Trump even threatened to withhold federal firefighting aid from the state unless Newsom agreed to what he described as signing the necessary paperwork—a vague reference to the state’s water management decisions.
In the midst of these exchanges, Newsom has made it clear that he doesn’t mind being in Trump’s line of fire. When asked about Trump’s “Newscum” nickname, Newsom took it as a sign of success, saying, "We clearly are in his head, and that’s a good thing, from my perspective. It means we’re doing the right thing.” This back-and-forth between the two leaders, while heated, underscores the increasingly combative relationship between the Trump administration and California’s Democratic leadership.
Interestingly, the tension between Trump and Newsom wasn’t always so hostile. In the early days of Trump’s presidency, the two maintained a somewhat cordial relationship. For example, Newsom publicly praised Trump for providing federal aid during California’s devastating wildfires. There were even instances where Trump highlighted Newsom’s praise in campaign ads, such as when Newsom commended Trump for sending COVID-19 testing swabs to the state. Despite these moments of cooperation, however, it appears the relationship between the two leaders has soured in recent years, especially as Newsom has taken an increasingly vocal stance against Trump’s policies.
The latest social media post from Trump also touched on the issue of voter identification, another topic of contention between California and the Trump administration. Trump has promised to push for voter ID requirements and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, a stance that has been widely opposed by Democratic leaders, including Newsom. In fact, Newsom recently signed a law that bans local governments from imposing voter identification requirements, further deepening the divide between the state and the incoming administration.
As tensions continue to rise, it’s clear that the relationship between Governor Newsom and President-elect Trump will be one to watch closely in the coming months. Whether it’s over issues like abortion rights, environmental protections, or the ongoing debate over water management, the California governor seems ready to go head-to-head with the Trump administration in a fight for the state’s values and policies. And as both leaders prepare for what promises to be a long and contentious battle, one thing is for certain: the political divide between California’s Democratic leaders and Trump’s vision for America is only getting wider.
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