Newsom Accuses Trump of Personal Vendetta Against His Family

Newsom further explained that federal officials had approached family members, friends, and former employees in recent days and requested old documents. "In den letzten Tagen haben Bundesbeamte bei Familienangehörigen, Freunden und ehemaligen Mitarbeitern geklopft – nicht, weil sie ein Verbrechen aufgedeckt hätten, sondern einfach, weil sie versuchen, eines zu finden," Newsom wrote on X. The governor spoke of a "persönlicher Rachefeldzug" by Trump.

Investigations Against the Wife

According to a report by the "New York Times," multiple investigative proceedings are underway against Newsom, one of which is reportedly directed at the finances of his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The questioning of relatives and former associates, as well as the combing through of extensive documents, suggested that the investigators are operating on a broad scale. Neither the White House nor the US Justice Department had responded to requests from US media.

Newsom said further in the video that Trump is going after him not only because of his "bösen Tweets": "Er verfolgt mich, weil ich erwäge, für das Präsidentenamt zu kandidieren." He also expressed the conviction that Trump hates "dass ich ständig, immer und immer wieder, seine Lügen und Täuschereien aufzeige." The two politicians are considered long-standing rivals and regularly engage in public verbal sparring.

Background of the Rivalry

The tensions between Newsom and Trump are not new. As early as June of the previous year, Trump had caused outrage with remarks about a possible arrest of the California governor over his alleged obstruction of the immigration authorities. When asked whether his border czar Tom Homan should arrest Newsom, Trump had responded: "Ich würde es tun, wenn ich Tom wäre. Ich finde das großartig."

When asked what crime Newsom had committed, Trump later said his "Hauptverbrechen" was having run for the office of governor. Newsom had done "so schlechten Job." Trump had also stated in 2025 that he would support the arrest of Newsom over his alleged obstruction of the immigration authorities in the state.

Pattern of Retaliation

The case fits into a series of retaliatory measures that critics accuse the Justice Department of carrying out since Trump's return to the White House in January 2025. According to a tally published in November 2025 by the news agency Reuters, at least 470 individuals, organizations, and institutions had become targets of such measures since the beginning of Trump's second term.

Among those affected is former FBI Director James Comey, who was investigated because of a photo with seashells arranged on the beach in the numbers 86 and 47. According to Trump, the number 86 stands for "töten," while the 47 is meant to refer to him as the 47th president. Also on the list of prominent names are New York Attorney General Letitia James, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, and former Fed Chair Jerome Powell.

Powell had publicly disclosed in mid-January, in an unusual move, that he was the target of a criminal investigation. In April, the responsible district attorney Jeanine Pirro, who is considered an ally of Trump, had dropped the case against Powell. The Ministry had also initiated investigations against government officials who had concluded that Russia had interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

Accusation of Abuse of Power

The US opposition accuses Trump of repeatedly using the Justice Department as a tool for personal vendettas against political opponents and thereby violating the separation of powers. In a democratic constitutional order, the three branches – legislative, executive, and judicial – are separated from one another in order to prevent the abuse of power.

Observers see the action against Newsom as a continuation of this pattern. The inclusion of his wife in the investigations is considered unusual and is likely to further intensify the already heated atmosphere between Washington and Sacramento. Newsom had emphasized in the video that he himself was prepared to submit to an investigation – but that his family should be kept out of the conflict.

The report was broadcast on 16.06.2026 on Deutschlandfunk. Both the White House and the US Justice Department had not responded to requests at the time of reporting. It remains unclear what specific circumstances underlie the investigations and which agencies are taking the lead.

Outlook

Newsom belongs to the Democratic Party and has governed as governor of the most populous US state since 2019. He has repeatedly positioned himself in the past as a sharp critic of Trump and is considered a possible contender for his party's presidential nomination in the 2028 election. His wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, is a filmmaker and activist.

Political observers expect that the conflict between Newsom and Trump will continue to sharpen in the coming weeks. Should Newsom actually pursue a presidential candidacy, the investigations would play into the election campaign and further fuel the debate about the independence of the judiciary in the United States.