California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday accused President Donald Trump of directing the Justice Department to investigate him and his wife, calling the investigation “politically motivated.”
“Today, my wife and I were added to Donald Trump’s hit list. He has directed his Justice Department to investigate us. They haven’t found a crime — they’re just trying to find a crime,” Newsom said in a post Monday and a video on X.
What did Newsom say about the investigation launched against him?
“He’s not coming after me because of a petty tweet, but because I’m considering running for president,” he said.
Newsom said that his wife is also being targeted by the government. He said Trump could harass him, investigate him and put him on his enemies list, but he addressed Trump saying: “Spare my wife and family from your personal vendettas.”
The California governor did not specify the allegations against him and his wife, but his office said the investigation recently expanded to “personal matters involving the governor’s family and professional networks.”
Why is there rivalry between Trump and Newsom?
As Governor of California, Newsom leads the most populous and economically powerful US state.
Newsom has been a longtime rival of Trump and is considered a serious contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
Recently, he has received attention for his social media posts criticizing Trump.
A person familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters news agency that federal law enforcement officials in Sacramento, California, are conducting several investigations related to the governor from 2025, including his wife.
The Justice Department has not disclosed details regarding the investigation. Newsom is the latest US current or former official to be the target of investigation after falling out of favor with the president.
This trend has fueled accusations from critics that the Trump administration is
Weaponizing law enforcement to target political opponents of the President.
Edited by: Rana Taha