Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom doesn’t have a promising track record of victories on appeal as he continues to wage war on the Trump administration through litigation.
So far, California has filed or joined other Democratic states in more than 30 lawsuits against the administration, according to Cal Matters. While some lawsuits managed to temporarily halt policies, the short-lived victories are less likely to stick on appeal — though the ultimate outcome remains to be seen.
California is filing twice as many lawsuits against the federal government compared to cases it initiated during the first Trump administration, according to the outlet. The state won nearly two-thirds of the 123 lawsuits it filed against Trump during his first administration, spending around $10 million a year on litigation, Cal Matters reported.
The California legislature set aside $50 million in February to cover costs of suing the Trump administration and providing legal aid to migrants. Facing a massive budget deficit, California was forced to cut back priorities like spending on healthcare for illegal migrants, though Newsom blamed the deficit on Trump’s tariffs.
Reversal On Appeal
Newsom is facing setbacks in his most direct conflicts with the administration.
In April, California sued over Trump’s tariffs, alleging his effort to impose them under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) is unconstitutional.
The Trump administration secured a partial victory in June, when a judge dismissed the case for lack of jurisdiction, finding it should be heard by the Court of International Trade. Newsom appealed to the Ninth Circuit, which scheduled oral arguments for Sept. 17.
California sued in June to take control of the National Guard after Trump deployed them to Los Angeles amid anti-ICE riots. While Newsom found brief success with Clinton-appointed Judge Charles Breyer, the order was quickly halted by an appeals court, allowing Trump to maintain control of the national guard.
Judge Charles Breyer set a trial for Aug. 11 to consider the issue.
“The Judges obviously realized that Gavin Newscum is incompetent and ill prepared, but this is much bigger than Gavin, because all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done,” Trump wrote June 19 on Truth Social.
Days after filing the National Guard lawsuit, California led ten other Democrat states in challenging Trump’s decision to sign resolutions terminating Biden admin rules that allowed the state to impose a de facto national electric vehicle (EV) mandate. The case is still pending, but the Trump administration believes it is doomed.
“It’s civics 101,” EPA Associate Administrator for Public Affairs Molly Vaseliou previously told the DCNF. “Both chambers of Congress pass legislation, and the President signs it into law. This is nothing more than California throwing a temper tantrum because the American people don’t want the state’s terrible policies.”
Leading The Charge
California has led several multi-states lawsuits, including some that have already landed at the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court let the Trump administration move forward on Monday with terminating nearly half of the Education Department’s employees, which California and several other states challenged in March.
The Supreme Court rejected in April a bid by California and seven other Democrat-led states to force the administration to pay out millions of dollars in teacher training grants cut as part of the department’s effort to root out diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
California has notched short-term wins in the lower courts: it secured a preliminary injunction preventing the admin from blocking transportation grants over immigration enforcement. It also secured a preliminary injunction blocking the admin from withholding funding for EV charging infrastructure and requiring it to unfreeze Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds.
Judge William Young, a Reagan appointee, sided in June with California and other states to block efforts to terminate millions in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants cut over DEI and gender ideology. Young said he had “never seen government racial discrimination like this,” according to Axios.
Other pending lawsuits include challenges sharing of Medicaid data with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), tying federal education funding to eliminating DEI initiatives and Trump’s executive order requiring proof of citizenship to vote.
Newsom celebrated a Biden-appointed judge’s July 11 order blocking immigration arrests in Los Angeles without “reasonable suspicion.”
“The court’s decision puts a temporary stop to federal immigration officials violating people’s rights and racial profiling,” Newsom wrote on X. “California stands with the law and the Constitution — and I call on the Trump Administration to do the same.”
The Trump administration asked the Ninth Circuit to pause the order on Monday.
“This illegal injunction both limits federal agents’ constitutional authority to conduct immigration enforcement and subjects those federal agents to the threat of contempt if they run afoul of this district judge’s (incorrect) understanding of federal law,” DOJ Chief of Staff Chad Mizelle wrote on X.
Admin On Offense
California’s policies have put the state in the administration’s crosshairs, sparking several other lawsuits.
“President Trump is protecting women in sports and restoring common sense,” White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields told the DCNF. “Those who choose to violate federal law will be held accountable.”
After the Education Department found California in violation of Title IX for allowing men into women’s sports and spaces, the California Department of Education (CDE) and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) refused to change their policies. Trump’s Department of Justice (DOJ) sued July 9 over the refusal to comply.
“The Governor of California has previously admitted that it is ‘deeply unfair’ to force women and girls to compete with men and boys in competitive sports,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “But not only is it ‘deeply unfair,’ it is also illegal under federal law. This Department of Justice will continue its fight to protect equal opportunities for women and girls in sports.”
The administration also sued July 9 over regulations that raise egg prices in California.
“California has gone rogue and caused real harm to consumers under its cage-free egg commitments,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins said. “By not allowing consumer choice, Californian’s are forced to buy more expensive eggs.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta did not respond to a request for comment.
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