Shamefully, CA Gov. Newsom Signs $50M ‘Trump-Proofing’ State Legislative Package
Meanwhile, by clearing away bureaucratic debris and ensuring the wildfire-destroyed area rebuilds aren’t subject to “climate crisis” idiocy. Trump’s special envoy Richard Grenell is the de facto governor of the Golden State.
Legal Insurrection readers may recall that in the wake of the Greater Los Angeles wildfires, the state Legislature considered spending $50 million “Trump-proofing” the state: $25 million for lawfare, and $25 million for supporting illegal immigrants.
The move was tone-deaf and poorly received by all voters, red and blue alike.
The state legislature consequently tabled it—temporarily.
While the rest of the nation has been focused on President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) exposing the vast amount of waste, fraud, and abuse in our government agencies, California Democrats voted for it and Governor Gavin Newsom signed it.
Newsom said the bill will “bolster funding for legal services programs that are vital to safeguarding the civil rights of California’s most vulnerable residents, including people with disabilities, youth who are homeless, victims of human trafficking and wage theft, people facing unlawful evictions, immigrants and more.
“None of the funding in this bill is intended to be used for immigration-related legal services for noncitizens convicted of serious or violent felonies,” he added in a signing statement.
The package, which was passed by the state Senate and Assembly, allocates $25 million to the California Department of Justice to support legal battles against Trump’s federal policies, including environmental regulations and illegal immigration. An additional $25 million is designated for legal aid groups to assist illegal immigrants facing potential deportation.
Newsom lobbed hundreds of lawsuits against the Trump administration during Trump’s first term.
Strings. https://t.co/Qjv36qwtrq
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 8, 2025
This is especially two-faced, after Newsom touted about wanting to get past the “noise of the election” the day before by meeting with Trump in DC this week.
The governor described his 90-minute sit-down with the president in the Oval Office Wednesday as “a real and substantive” and “positive” conversation that included wildfire recovery and more thorny topics, such as water policy and the bills on Newsom’s desk to increase legal funding to challenge the president’s actions in court.
Newsom’s expedition into the Republican White House shows the evolution of his approach to Trump: from a Democratic fighter and outspoken critic during a bruising election cycle to a statesman eager to move past the “noise” and forge a path to work together to benefit Californians.
But Californians are less than impressed with Newsom’s post-wildfire leadership.
Thanks to @realDonaldTrump California got water.
Thanks to @RichardGrenell the place is getting cleaned up.Thanks to Newsome the place burned to the ground without water.
— Mike OLeary (@MikeOLearySr) February 7, 2025
Meanwhile, Trump’s Special Envoy Ric Grenell has been in Southern California working to speed up wildfire recovery, alongside the new EPA chief, who is helping clear away bureaucratic hurdles.
Grenell and newly confirmed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin met with residents amid the fire devastation in the Pacific Palisades. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Major General Jason Kelly was there, as was Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regional administrator Bob Fenton, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, as were many colleagues and staffers, talking with residents.
Grenell facilitated discussion between residents, who are living in motels, hotels VRBO and AirBNB rentals, and government officials, to solve residents’ immediate and prepare for long term concerns.
And notably, at one point, Grenell warned federal, state and local officials to cut the bullshit pushing DEI for subcontractors on debris removal. He told them to bring in all contracting teams who want to help.
“That bullshit can’t happen,” Ric Grenell said. He said that he was aware that hiring contractors for debris removal of the Palisades’ burned homes was stymied because they were trying to find “the right mix” of DEI-approved contractors. Grenell advocated for allowing contractors from all over the country to work in LA. “I don’t care about the color of their skin. “I don’t care if they’re in a wheelchair. We want people to be able to do the job and get it done, and not hold up because we have some quota system.”
Special Envoy @RichardGrenell Says No DEI in LA Fire Cleanup: ‘That Bullsh*t Can’t Happen’
EPA Chief Lee Zeldin says agency is working ‘around the clock‘ to clean up L.A. Fires.@CaliforniaGlobe was on the ground in fire ravaged Pacific Palisades.https://t.co/YWZNAQkOuS pic.twitter.com/ZwFY6QKQ2M
— California Globe (@CaliforniaGlobe) February 7, 2025
Grenell has been following the USAID-funded Politico’s insane climate crisis narrative in California as well.
. @politico has THREE reporters covering Climate Change in California.
All three love Gavin Newsom and pretend like he’s not Left enough. pic.twitter.com/ZjuXU57I3x
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 7, 2025
Grenell is also working to ensure the devastated area is restored to what it was before the fire, instead of allowing Newsom to push his 15-minute city vision built on climate pseudoscience to go forward.
Hard no, @GavinNewsom.
This is why we must have strings on the Federal money we send to California.
Without commonsense reforms, @GavinNewsom and his cronies will ensure we have another catastrophic fire without water available to fight it. https://t.co/CSvNa3VZnG
— Richard Grenell (@RichardGrenell) February 7, 2025
Grenell is acting more like a governor should in the wake of this disaster—both the wildfires and the environmental catastrophe of the burned lithium battery plant.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to the de facto Governor of California…. @RichardGrenell https://t.co/M7egj1nOEM
— Leslie Eastman ☥ (@Mutnodjmet) February 8, 2025
Perhaps Grenell will move to make it more official in 2026 when Newsom is term-limited out of office.
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Comments
I’m assuming that any fire disaster assistance will also be “Trump proofed”?
What an a-hole.
Bigly.
Trump should also declare they’ve ICE proofed California. Let’s see how long that $25 million for illegals lasts.
Trump needs to deduct that amount from any federal disaster aid sent to the state.
Although why the latter number would exceed zero is something I still can’t understand.
Or he could cancel the whole amount and congratulate them on the effectiveness of their new shields.
If CA can spend 50 mil on lawsuits then they don’t need assistance for recovery form their fired,
The feds should reclaim the billions they gave CA for the fancy train to no where, they promised a train from Sac/SF to LA and didn’t deliver.
They obviously have lots of money and don’t need any Federal assistance for wildfires.
Now how do we Newsom-proof the rest of the country….
If the political leaders of CA have a spare $50 million to be used for something other than recover/rebuild then they need to be forced to live with consequences of their choices in spending priorities.
Actually Cali is broke and can’t even afford the 50 Million. Newscum should start puckering up and get some chapstick to start kissing Trump’s backside.
Recent approval polling for Bass and Newsom looks grim for them. BUT, the real problem with California is rooted in the state legislatures and the many ‘commissions’ across the state that really wield the power. Even if Bass was voted out and a GOP candidate won the 2026 gubernatorial race, it’s virtually certain the massive advantage the Dems enjoy in the state house would go unchanged…which means idiocy like this bill would continue to be passed and it would be sustained because the Dems have a super-majority. There’s simply no fixing California. It’s dead, Jim.
Congress needs to get on passing legislation “California-proofing” Federal elections across the country requiring ID and in person voting and US citizens only.
One of the terrible things Dems do in Ca is ballot harvesting. They collect ballots from those who don’t vote normally and vote for them.
Sounds insurrectiony.
Cut federal funding; obviously they have plenty of money if they can prioritise spending on this.
No need to both the American taxpayer if you have that kink of money to wee away.
I know it should read “kind of money” but for once autocorrect might be right.
Democrats definitely have “that kink of money.” They get off on wasting other people’s money.
Trump-proofing definition:
Paula Webster’s dictionary: an exercise in futility, often attempted by clownish people who don’t have the foggiest notion of what they’re doing.
Newsom is presidente in waiting of the “Nation State” of El Norte California. In his wildest dreams.
If Cali has that amount of money to spend on possible lawsuits that state certainly does not need federal assistance in cleaning up and rebuilding from the fires.
Good to see who cries for the bad guys. Let everyone see. They can pat themselves on the back all they want. Biden was sharp as a tack. Like no one noticed? Obama basically called Trump Hitler, then joked at Carter’s funeral. Like no one noticed? Trump was dictator and now he’s Musk’s puppet. Like no one notices?
Though it obstructs, these efforts will hurt Democrats more than it will help. Good to see who cries for the bad guys.
California has overpriced everything. To the degree that California is given aid, it should not exceed the national averages for cost.
Good idea, which Trump as a builder, would identify with; and especially since they just proved they have all this extra money, a very poor optic.
California’s may not voted for it, but they will pay for it.
California is a one-party state. With a super-majority, the Democrats have full unrestrained control. Is this what the voters really want? I think the electrons are rigged, but I have no proof. How does one explain a law that mandates no ID for voting, other than to facilitate cheating? I advocate giving them no federal aid whatsoever. That means no bailout to cover their huge debt.
Newsom insults Trump, then asks for money. WTF? Ever hear of “don’t bite the hand that feeds you?” Nothing makes sense. I lived in CA for decades because I had a job. Then I moved after I retired and CA became unlivable. I know from long experience that the people in the major urban areas are nuts, stupid, and arrogant.
California courts step in when the referendum process produces results those courts find distasteful. The legal structure is populist, but they have the same problem as Israel: a very powerful and leftists judiciary.
California is still part of the United States? Why?! Cut it loose, let it self-destruct, then bring it back in as a territory and resettle it with sane people.
Too valuable. That coastline and farming area are irreplaceable, which is why “reconquista” is really trying to pull it into Mexico.
Ric Grenell is on the ground keeping score. Whatever California asks for dollar wise will not only have strings attached I think the total asked for will have $50,000,000 deducted from it.
“newly confirmed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin”
Great pick. Lee ran for governor in NY and narrowly lost to the current incumbent Kathy Hochul. Only reason Hochul won was the college vote. She maximized the college vote with her policy during Covid of denying as many religious and medical exemptions as she could, thereby forcing most Republican college students out of the state. She won with out-of-staters attending college in NY state.
I’ve long thought that out of state college students should vote where their parents live or where they grew up, and not be allowed to vote where their college is. I went to college in Massachusetts and I had no idea about local politics; I was just there for college. No way I should have voted on policies for people living there permanently.
I also went to college in Massachusetts, was there when the voting age dropped. Lived there four years straight, winter and summer, legal residence address, paid all my own living expenses except tuition. Wanted to vote in the federal elections, I could have given a damn about Cambridge politics, though I was as every bit as much a resident as any other renter there. Cambridge city hall refused to register me because I was “not self-supporting” — then proceeded to register my blind roommate I was escorting, who was 100% supported by the MA Commission for the Blind. Complained to the ACLU that I was being denied my right to vote; they made all the right noises, but never did a damn thing… because Cambridge was a big blue city defending its blueness and the ACLU doesn’t challenge bedfellows. Well, college was supposed to be a learning experience, and that sure was.