BREAKING NEWSDonald Trump to Be Sued by the State of California Over Tariffs, Gavin Newsom Confirms: 'We're Taking Him to Court'
Donald Trump is going to be sued by the state of California over his tariffs, Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed.
April 16 2025, Published 11:48 a.m. ET
The state of California is set to sue Donald Trump on April 16 to stop his tariffs, insisting he’s carrying out his plans illegally.
Gavin Newsom declared California is taking Donald Trump 'to court.'
The lawsuit — which will be a federal one — marks the first time a state is officially pushing back on Trump’s tariffs, which have caused tumultuous international relations and have had a detrimental impact on the stock market.
“Donald Trump does not have the authority to unilaterally impose the largest tax hike of our lifetime with his destructive tariffs,” California’s Governor Gavin Newsom shared on social media platform X. “We’re taking him to court.” Newsom’s office told NBC News the lawsuit will insist Trump using the International Economic Emergency Powers Act — which he used to impose his reciprocal tariff plan — is “unlawful and unprecedented.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta called Donald Trump's implementation of tariffs 'chaotic.'
The situation “immediate and irreparable harm to California, the largest economy, manufacturing, and agriculture state in the nation,” they added.
The goal of the lawsuit is to have Trump’s tariffs declared as void.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta will hold a press conference with Newsom at 1:30 p.m. ET on April 16 to officially announce the lawsuit against Trump.
“The President’s chaotic and haphazard implementation of tariffs is not only deeply troubling, it’s illegal,” Bonta told NBC News. “As the fifth largest economy in the world, California understands global trade policy is not just a game. Californians are bracing for fallout from the impact of the President’s choices — from farmers in the Central Valley, to small businesses in Sacramento, and worried families at the kitchen table.”
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Gavin Newsom claimed Donald Trump 'does not have the authority to unilaterally impose the largest tax hike of our lifetime.'
As OK! reported, Trump has not taken kindly to his tariff policy being criticized.
When speaking from Air Force Once, Bloomberg’s Annmarie Hordern asked Trump if there was “pain in the market at some point you’re unwilling to tolerate?”
“I mean, I think it’s… I don’t want anything to go down, but sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something and we have such a horrible, we have been treated so badly, by other countries because we had stupid leadership that allowed this to happen,” Trump responded.
After taking questions from other reporters, Hordern tried to bring up the tariffs again, which Trump was unhappy with. “Who you with?” Trump asked before dismissing her interrogation. “Another question please. She asks too many questions."
Donald Trump has not taken kindly to his tariffs being questioned.
Trump addressed the tariffs at another point during his appearance, claiming leaders in Europe and Asia are “dying to make a deal” with him, as he’d spoken to them regarding tariffs he planned to impose.
“What’s going to happen to the markets I can’t tell you,” Trump noted. “But our country is much stronger.”
As OK! shared on April 4, insiders claim Trump has reached his "peak of not giving a f---" after announcing his tariff plan.
On Wednesday, April 2, the president revealed his Trade War plans and a slate of tariffs on imports from several countries and territories across the country.
"He’s at the peak of just not giving a f--- anymore," a White House official shared. "Bad news stories? Doesn’t give a f---. He’s going to do what he’s going to do. He’s going to do what he promised to do on the campaign trail."
