Trump-Newsom feud boils over during immigration protests in LA
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President Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 24. Photo: Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images
The immigration protests in Los Angeles are the latest flashpoint in a simmering battle between the Trump administration and California with the federal government repeatedly threatening to cut funding to the state.
The big picture: Clashes over progressive ideologies on climate, transgender rights and immigration are at the center of President Trump's issue with the Golden State — but California's Democratic leaders are putting up a fight.
- The president has repeatedly threatened the state with funding cuts and a continued federal immigration crackdown despite recent protests in California cities including Los Angeles and nearby Paramount.
The latest: Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard members to California on Saturday in response to protests sparked by recent federal immigration sweeps in Los Angeles County.
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advocated for immigrants targeted in the sweeps and said her office was in "close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations."
- Trump lambasted Bass and the state's governor, further deepening the ongoing divide.
- California plans to sue the administration for federalizing the National Guard.
How Trump has threatened California's funding?
The president recently threatened to cut funding to California if it continues allowing transgender athletes to compete in women's sports, doubling down after a trans high schooler won state championships.
- He's poised to toss out California's stringent auto emissions standards.
- His move to halt student visa interviews and revoke visas for Chinese students jeopardizes California universities, which have more international students than any other state.
- And Trump has clashed with Gov. Gavin Newsom over the state's response to the Los Angeles-area fires and previously threatened to withhold federal aid if the state doesn't agree to the president's demands.
What they're saying: Amid reports of funding cuts to the state, White House spokesperson Kush Desai told Axios in an emailed statement Friday: "No taxpayer should be forced to fund the demise of our country, and that's what California is doing through its lunatic anti-energy, soft-on-crime, pro-child mutilation, and pro-sanctuary policies."
- The Trump administration, he said, "is committed to ending this nightmare and restoring the California Dream."
- "No final decisions, however, on any potential future action by the Administration have been made, and any discussion suggesting otherwise should be considered pure speculation," Desai said.
How California Gov. Newsom responded
Newsom responded to the report Friday that alleged Trump would cut funding, making a threat of his own to stop paying the state's federal taxes.
- "Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back."
- Tagging Trump, he added, "Maybe it's time to cut that off."
Zoom out: The state is suing the administration and is doing so at nearly double the rate of Trump's first term — with no plans to slow down, per CalMatters, a nonprofit news outlet.
- During Trump's first term, the state sued the federal government more than 120 times — spending more than $40 million — over environmental regulations, immigration, health care and other issues.
- Trump lost about two-thirds of the cases, per CalMatters.
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