California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over sweeping new tariffs, calling them unconstitutional and damaging to both the state and the country. Standing alongside Attorney General Rob Bonta at an almond farm in the Central Valley, Newsom said, “No state is poised to lose more than the state of California. That’s why we’re asserting ourselves on behalf of 40 million Americans.”
The lawsuit argues that President Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose a 10% across-the-board tariff on imports—and even higher rates for countries like China—is illegal because the law doesn’t give the president the power to enact tariffs without Congress. “Trump claims this law is the reason he can impose these tariffs, and he is wrong,” Bonta said. “The truth is the IEEPA does not apply here.”
Newsom, who has generally kept a distance from Trump’s legal fights in the past, said the economic fallout from the tariffs forced him to step in directly. “He is betraying the people that supported him,” Newsom said. “Donald Trump has turned his back on his supporters.”
California, the world’s fifth-largest economy, does more than $675 billion in trade each year. The state depends heavily on international exports, especially in agriculture and manufacturing. Farmers, including almond growers like Christine Gemperle, say they already feel the impact. “Will we be able to access what we need to grow our crops, and if so, will we even be able to afford it?” Gemperle said.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. It asks the court to block the tariffs and declare Trump’s actions unlawful. Newsom’s team says the tariffs could lead to higher prices, job losses, and a drop in state revenue, especially from capital gains taxes tied to the stock market. The governor also criticized Republicans in Congress for doing nothing. “Where the hell is Congress?” he asked. “Do your job.”