Newsom punches back at California’s critics and Trump in his final State of the State speech

By SOPHIE AUSTIN and TRÂN NGUYỄN

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state must stand up to Republican President Donald Trump ‘s “assault on our values,” warning in his final State of the State address Thursday that democracy is at stake.

The Democrat, who is eyeing a 2028 presidential run, used the speech to defend his record as he nears the end of eight years leading the nation’s most populous state. He highlighted California’s work on homelessness, climate policy, crime and health care costs, noting the state has sued the Trump administration more than 50 times since the president returned to office.

“The federal government, respectfully, it’s unrecognizable, protecting the powerful at the expense of the vulnerable,” Newsom said, accusing the Trump administration of governing through fear. He criticized what he called a “carnival of chaos,” pointing to National Guard deployments to Democratic-led cities, disputes over food aid, and cuts to medical research.

Newsom said California, by contrast, should serve ...