Newsom on reported DOJ investigation: ‘Go after me’

Administration Newsom on reported DOJ investigation: ‘Go after me’ Comments: by Sophie Brams - 06/19/26 3:00 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Sophie Brams - 06/19/26 3:00 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) projected defiance Thursday about the Department of Justice (DOJ) probes into him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, challenging President Trump to “go after” him.

“This is stuff that happens in other countries, that’s all I’ll say,” Newsom told MS NOW reporter Jacob Soboroff in Chicago. “He wants to go after me? Go after me.”

Newsom, who is constantly at odds with the president, announced Monday on social media that he and California’s first lady had “joined Donald Trump’s hit list” and were now the subjects of a federal investigation.

The governor said federal agents have interviewed his family, friends and former employees and requested records from his office in search of a crime.

A source familiar with the investigation said it was not prompted by Trump but rather whistleblower reports shared with the DOJ office in Sacramento. The investigation into Newsom’s wife is reportedly related to taxes while concerns about the governor centered on the actions of current and former staffers.

“He isn’t coming after me because of mean tweets, but because I am considering running for President,” Newsom wrote in a post on the social platform X. “He hates that I consistently call him out. He is simply the most corrupt President in American history. We have nothing to hide.”

The California governor has not shied away from the fight, viewing it as an opportunity to elevate his national profile ahead of a potential bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

His top lawyer requested in a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche earlier this week that the DOJ hand over all of its records pertaining to the ongoing investigation. The DOJ has declined to comment on the letter.

Jennifer Siebel Newsom sidestepped questions about the investigation while attending the opening of former President Obama’s presidential library with her husband on Thursday, instead offering only praise for Trump’s predecessor.

“I’m just so grateful for this inspiration and leadership,” she said. “We need more of that.”

The governor also took a thinly veiled swipe at Trump when describing the “contrast” between the occasion they were gathered for and the administration’s investigations.

“I think everybody feels that spirit and that pride that we’ve been missing,” he said. “We’ve been missing it because of the divisiveness. We’ve been missing it because we have people that, frankly, are unworthy of their positions.”