'He's actively lying': Gavin Newsom pushes back on Trump's California election allegations

Gov. Gavin Newsom fired back at President Donald Trump after he called California’s election system a fraud on Sunday in a Fox interview. Newsom responded to the comments on social media, accusing Trump of spreading misinformation to keep people from voting. The political clash comes days before voters head to polling stations for the state's primary elections. 

In an interview on Fox News with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, the president was asked about the primary elections in California, with the host calling the process "a little wonky". Trump went ahead to state that “California elections are a fraud," asserting that he "knows the system very well" and that the state has "no voting booths" and all of the polling is done by mail-in votes, which he has long claimed to be rigged. He further added that no Republican can win in California unless the SAVE America Act is passed. Sharing a clip of his remarks on X, Newsom dismissed the president's claims, alleging that he was trying to mislead voters. “Trump is actively lying to Americans. Again,” Newsom warned. “This time it’s to keep you from voting. Don’t believe him," he concluded. 

In the interview, Trump also argued that eliminating fraud nationwide would help solve the country’s fiscal problems and help the federal government create a balanced budget. He claimed Vice President JD Vance was doing a great job and his team had uncovered hundreds of billions worth of fraud. "And they haven't even got to California, where the whole thing is a fraud," the president said. This too drew a sharp response from Newsom’s office as he wrote, “No, you’re just a loser.”

The exchange marks the latest inflection point in the ongoing feud between the Democratic governor, who is weighing a 2028 White House run, and the Republican president. It also comes days after Newsom signed legislation that aims to shield California elections from federal interference. The law, which took effect immediately, prohibits any person, including federal agents,  from accessing voter rolls or election technology without a court order, and law enforcement officers are restricted from disrupting election workers, except in cases of public safety emergencies. Newsom said the legislation was a preventative step as he expected the Trump administration to try to meddle in the midterms this year. While officials have said they have no plans to send immigration agents to polling stations, Newsom argued that “we have to be prepared for everything” because “there are no rules anymore with the Trump administration," NBC News reported.   

Meanwhile, voting is already underway in California’s closely watched primary for governor, a race that Newsom has to sit out as he can't seek a third term. A crowded field of Democrats and two viable Republicans are vying for just two spots on the November ballot, and under the state's open primary system, only the top two vote-getters head to the general elections regardless of party affiliation. Trump has recently praised mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt and endorsed former Fox News commentator Steve Hilton in the race for governor, the New York Post reported.