TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday accused President Donald Trump of directing the Justice Department to investigate him and his wife, describing the probe as "politically motivated."
"Today, my wife & I joined Donald Trump's hit list. He has directed his Department of Justice to investigate us. They have not found a crime - they are simply trying to find one," Newsom said on Monday in a post and a video on X.
What did Newsom say about the investigation launched against him?
"He isn't coming after me because of mean tweets, but because I am considering running for President," he added.
Newsom said that his wife is also being targeted by the government. He added that Trump could harass him, investigate him and put him on his list of enemies, but, addressing Trump, said: "Leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta."
The California governor did not specify the allegations against him and his wife, but his office said the inquiry appears to have recently expanded into “increasingly personal matters involving the Governor's family and professional network.”
Why is there a rivalry between Trump and Newsom?
As the governor of California, Newsom leads the most populous and economically powerful US state.
Newsom has been a longstanding rival of Trump and is regarded as a serious contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
Of late, he has gained attention for his social media posts slamming Trump.
Federal law enforcement officers in Sacramento, California, have been conducting several investigations related to the governor, including into his wife, since 2025, a person familiar with the matter told the Reuters news agency on the condition of anonymity.
The Justice Department has not revealed the details regarding the investigations. Newsom is the latest US current or former official to be targeted by a probe after falling out of favor with the president.
The trend has fueled critics' accusations that the Trump's administration is weaponizing law enforcement to target the president's political opponents.
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