Newsom lobbies Biden administration for funds as he seeks to ‘Trump-proof’ California

Two days after Election Day, Newsom quickly called a special session of the state legislature to “safeguard California values and fundamental rights in the face of an incoming Trump administration.” Now, the California governor is in D.C. with the hopes of getting some last-minute funding from the Biden administration before the president leaves the White House in 69 days.

“Building on the progress made since President Biden took office, Governor Newsom will advocate for key priorities to advance the health and well-being of all Californians — including disaster funding, the approval of state health care initiatives aimed at improving access to health and mental health care for Californians, and crucial climate waivers,” Newsom’s office told the Washington Examiner in a statement.

The governor will meet with members of the Golden State’s congressional delegation and the White House during his quick trip to the nation’s capital before returning to Sacramento for a special session aimed at protecting liberal priorities at the state level.

Newsom will specifically be seeking federal approval for various climate rules and a $5.2 billion reimbursement for COVID-19 emergency funding, all before Trump returns to lead the executive branch, according to the Associated Press.

The special session will start the week after Thanksgiving, on Dec. 2, and is set to focus on “bolstering legal defenses against federal actions,” according to the governor’s office.

Trump responded to Newsom’s special session by saying the governor is “trying to KILL our Nation’s beautiful California” in a Truth Social post last week.

“For the first time ever, more people are leaving than are coming in. He is using the term “Trump-Proof” as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to “Make California Great Again,” but I just overwhelmingly won the Election,” Trump said, while also taking aim at California’s policies, including its prohibition on voter ID laws.

The Golden State governor is one of several Democrats being floated to be the party’s golden boy for the 2028 presidential election. The next presidential election, which is not for more than 1400 days, is expected to have open primaries on both sides of the aisle as Trump will not be eligible for a third term.

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Vice President Kamala Harris easily defeated Trump in her home state in last week’s presidential election, but the former president appears to have made some inroads in the heavily Democratic state, as he did in several other blue states.

In 2020, Trump lost to Biden, 64.5%-34.3%, but with roughly 76% of the vote counted, Trump only trailed Harris, 58.9%-38.1%.