LOS ANGELES - California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday accused President Donald Trump of directing the Justice Department to undertake a politically motivated investigation of him and his wife.

"Donald Trump isn't just coming after me because of my mean tweets," Newsom said in a video statement posted to X. "He's coming after me because I am considering running for President."

The Justice Department and the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Newsom said federal agents had in recent days been knocking on the door of members of his family, friends and former employees demanding records and digging through years-old documents.

"Not because they found a crime. Because they are simply trying to find one," he said.

Speaking directly to Trump in the video, Newsom said: "You can subpoena my records. You can investigate me. You can harass me. Put my name on every and any enemy's list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta."

Newsom and Trump have long been critical of each other, clashing on major issues including climate change, pipelines and the Republican president's deployment of National Guard troops to the state last summer.

Last year, Trump said he would support Newsom being arrested over his alleged obstruction of immigration enforcement in California.

Since Trump returned to office for a second term, his Justice Department has targeted several of the president's perceived political enemies with criminal prosecution, pursuing criminal charges against former FBI director James Comey, New York state Attorney General Letitia James and former National Security Adviser John Bolton.

The department has also opened investigations ‌into U.S. officials who concluded that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to boost Trump's first campaign, Democratic lawmakers who urged U.S. military personnel to refuse unlawful orders and liberal donors and fundraising groups.

A tally by Reuters published in November 2025 revealed at least 470 people, organizations and institutions had been targeted for retribution since the beginning of Trump's second term.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas and Ryan Patrick Jones; editing by Michelle Nichols)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 4:24 PM.

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