California Gov. Gavin Newsom sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, challenging the president’s power to impose drastic tariffs that sparked the world trade war, the Associated Press reported.
The lawsuit alleges that President Donald Trump will use international emergency economic forces to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China, or that a 10% tariff on all imports is illegal. The law allows the president to freeze and block transactions in response to foreign threats, but does not allow the president to adopt tariffs, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit filed in US District Court for the Northern District of California also argues that such tariffs require approval from Congress to be enacted.
This year, California has filed more than a dozen lawsuits challenging Trump’s policies. However, the tariff lawsuit is the first time this year when Newsom, who is already considered the top presidential outlook for 2028, is considered plaintiff. The Democratic governor reduced his anti-Trump rhetoric as the deadly Los Angeles in January called for federal support.
Newsom discussed the lawsuit in a farm-rich Central Valley orchard, highlighting California’s status as an agricultural powerhouse. Many of the nuts, fruits and vegetables grown in the state are doomed to other countries.