California Governor Gavin Newsom Clashes with White House Press Secretary in Funding Dispute

California Governor Gavin Newsom Clashes with White House Press Secretary in Funding Dispute

California Governor Gavin Newsom has been engaging in a war of words with the Trump administration, particularly targeting White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The dispute arose after Leavitt defended Trump's decision to freeze federal funding for UCLA, accusing the university of anti-Semitism. Newsom criticized Leavitt for supporting her boss's actions and even gave her a mocking nickname. Leavitt responded by challenging Newsom to take legal action, but a judge later ordered Trump to restore part of the funding to UCLA.

Newsom's press office called out Leavitt for not providing the promised evidence of UCLA's alleged violations of First Amendment rights and religious liberties. Fans on Facebook reacted to Newsom's mocking of Leavitt, with some agreeing with his actions. Newsom continued his criticism of Leavitt and Trump, accusing them of cheating by influencing the redrawing of congressional maps in Republican-controlled states like Texas. He warned Trump to stop these efforts, threatening to push for more Democratic seats in California if the deadline was not met.

Newsom announced a special election to redraw California's congressional map on August 14, following through on his threat. The response from the White House to Newsom's actions remains uncertain.