California Gov.
Gavin Newsom used what is expected to be his final State of the State address on Thursday to celebrate Californias courtroom clashes with the Trump administration and to defend a progressive agenda that has left the state deeply divided.
According to Fox News, the Democrat governor cast the states barrage of lawsuits against President Donald Trump as a principled stand on constitutional limits, insisting that "no one, particularly the President of the United States, stands above the law." He told lawmakers that "weve gone to court and, of course, protect our people, pushing back against this executive overreach," portraying California not as a state struggling with crime, homelessness, and outmigration, but as a legal bulwark against Washington.
Newsom highlighted litigation launched during a special legislative session, explicitly tying those efforts to what he claimed were federal actions that harmed Californians. "Fifty-two lawsuits have been filed, funded by you, by the way, in this special session that all of you led," he said, asserting that the cases involve "about $168 billion in illegally frozen federal resources that belong to our schools, that belong to our hospitals, that belong to our seniors."
He argued that this aggressive legal strategy has already borne fruit in the courts, presenting it as a vindication of his broader resistance posture toward the Trump administration. "We have won the request for emergency relief," Newsom declared, adding that California has "affirmed the Constitution of the United States as the supreme law of the land."
Turning his remarks directly toward the President, Newsom adopted the language of moral rebuke more familiar from national Democratic talking points than from a state-level policy address. Addressing President Donald Trump, Newsom said, "You cant cut off critical food assistance for millions of people," adding, "You cant send the military into American cities without justification, and you cannot cruelly and illegally cut off funding for medical research, homeland security, or disaster response."
The governors focus on legal warfare comes as the Trump administration has initiated a federal probe into alleged fraud tied to California programs, including homelessness spending, with a top federal prosecutor sharply criticizing the states oversight. Newsoms office has rejected those accusations, insisting the governor has blocked fraud and protected taxpayers, even as critics argue that Sacramentos sprawling bureaucracy and lax accountability have fueled waste and abuse.
Later in the address, Newsom shifted to the states homelessness crisis, a persistent humanitarian and public-safety disaster that has worsened on his watch despite massive spending. "So I say this with love and respect to the counties no more excuses. Its time to bring people off the streets and out of encampments," he said, effectively placing the burden on local governments that have long complained about unfunded mandates and state-imposed regulations.
Newsom also mounted a defense of Californias controversial high-speed rail project, a multibillion-dollar endeavor plagued by delays, cost overruns, and public skepticism. He hailed it as "the nations first high speed rail system," insisting that "full environmental clearance is done," and claiming "more than 60 miles of guideway have been completed ready for immediate track lane in the Central Valley."
On housing, the governor turned his fire on the private sector, singling out large financial firms rather than the states own restrictive zoning, environmental rules, and tax policies that conservatives say have strangled supply. Newsom warned about "institutional investors that are snatching up homes by the hundreds and thousands at a time," arguing that "these investors are crushing the dream of homeownership," and adding, "I think its shameful that we allow private equity firms become some of the biggest landlords here in our cities."
Republican leaders responded with sharp criticism, accusing Newsom of glossing over the real condition of the state under one-party Democratic rule. California Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones dismissed the address as an "airbrushed spin job," charging that the governor is "working hard to pull the wool over the eyes of the nation."
Assemblyman James Gallagher likewise brushed off the speech as "more of the same," calling instead for what he described as a "third wave politics" in which both parties work together to tackle Californias mounting problems. With the statewide election to replace the term-limited governor set for November 2026, conservatives see an opening to contrast Newsoms rhetoric with the lived reality of Californians facing high costs, rampant homelessness, and deteriorating public order.
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