On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom revealed plans to file a lawsuit against President Donald Trump in response to tariffs introduced earlier this month. According to The New York Times, the lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, aims to invalidate the tariffs and prevent their enforcement by federal authorities.
As the fifth largest economy globally, California faces substantial economic risk due to these tariffs, which threaten industries ranging from tech in Silicon Valley to agriculture reliant on global markets. The legal move would make California the first state to formally oppose Trump’s extensive tariff measures.
In a video shared on social media, Newsom announced that the state of California would initiate legal action, emphasizing its status as the leading manufacturing hub in the U.S. and a significant player in global trade. Newsom stated in the video: “No state stands to be more affected than California by the Trump administration’s unilateral move to impose what amounts to the biggest tax increase in recent U.S. history. President Trump does not have the legal power to enforce such sweeping tariffs without checks. We’re taking legal steps to stop him.”
Trump enacted the tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which grants the president extensive control over economic activities following a national emergency declaration. The emergency declaration was made on April 2, paving the way for the tariffs that prompted the legal challenge.
The California lawsuit will contend that Trump’s invocation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to enforce his reciprocal tariff policy is both “unlawful and unprecedented.” Officials say the tariffs pose serious and immediate harm to California’s economy, particularly as the state leads the nation in sectors like manufacturing and agriculture.
The White House pushed back regarding the lawsuit and criticized Newsom’s priorities, with spokesperson Kush Desai said: “Instead of addressing California’s spiraling crime, homelessness, and affordability issues, Gavin Newsom is trying to obstruct President Trump’s historic efforts to confront America’s chronic trade deficits.”
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