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By Gabe Whisnant and Andrew Stanton
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California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday in a post to X that President Donald Trump has directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate him, accusing the administration of targeting political opponents despite “not finding a crime” and instead “trying to find one.”
Newsom said federal agents in recent days have visited the homes of family members, friends and former employees seeking documents and records. He framed the move as retaliation tied to his potential presidential ambitions, writing that Trump is “coming after me because I am considering running for President,” while portraying the investigation as politically motivated and unprecedented.
Newsom is the latest Trump adversary to be investigated, along with critics like New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI Director James Comey. Subjects of the Trump administration's probes have raised concerns about the DOJ being used for political purposes, though few details about the investigations have been reported.
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Former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Newsweek on Monday that there is no legal requirement for the DOJ to disclose the existence of an investigation, so the timeline as to when more details on the Newsom probe may be made public remained unclear.
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"Obviously, regardless of what it is, Gavin Newsom is going to argue this is a vindictive prosecution. It’s based on them being vocal critics of the president, Newsom’s tweets, being a potential candidate for president in 2028," he said.
Why Is the DOJ Investigating Gavin and Jennifer Newsom?
The DOJ and FBI declined to comment when reached by Newsweek.
A source familiar with the situation told Newsweek that there have been several investigations ongoing for about a year. The investigations originated in California from whistleblowers and local sources. They are being run through the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Sacramento.
One of the investigations deals with Newsom’s wife and her taxes. Another deals with a former chief of staff and potentially current staffers, but more details about the scope of that investigation remained private.
The exact number of investigations also remained unclear.
Newsom said the DOJ investigation also involves his wife, Jennifer, but the nature of the alleged probe is unclear.
Newsom's office told Monica Madden of ABC7 in California that the DOJ is "chasing conspiracy theories." Madden reported that Newsom and his wife had not received subpoenas as of Monday.
*″*One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on his hit list,” Newsom said in the video statement. “And today, I proudly join that list. He has directed his Department of Justice to investigate us.”
Newsom said the DOJ is “abusing the grand jury process” in its demands for records.
The potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate directly challenged Trump in the post, saying he has “nothing to hide” and vowing he is “not going anywhere,” escalating an already-tense feud.
Newsom and Trump have long clashed on major issues, including climate policy, energy infrastructure and the president’s deployment of National Guard troops to California last summer.
Newsweek has reached out to Newsom's office, the White House and the DOJ via email Monday afternoon for comment.
Who Is Jennifer Newsom?
Jennifer Siebel Newsom is an American documentary filmmaker, actress and advocate who serves as the first partner of California, the title she adopted in 2019 alongside Newsom to emphasize inclusivity. Born in San Francisco in 1974, she graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree and an MBA and built a career in film focused on gender equity, writing, directing and producing documentaries such as Miss Representation and The Mask You Live In. She also founded The Representation Project, a nonprofit that uses media to challenge stereotypes and promote equality.
Siebel Newsom met Gavin Newsom in 2006 on a blind date, and the couple married on July 26, 2008, in Montana. They have four children together. As first partner, she has used her platform to advocate for women, children and families, launching initiatives aimed at gender equity, mental health and economic opportunity while cofounding organizations focused on increasing representation in leadership.
“And just in the last week, I’ve learned his campaign has reached my own home: to get me, he’s coming after my wife, Jen,” Newsom said in Monday's video statement. “A public servant. A woman who has dedicated her life to supporting women and girls.
"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."
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DOJ Investigates Trump Adversaries
Rahmani said there has been a trend of the DOJ investigating Trump's adversaries, though he noted that it would be "mostly speculation right now" to say why Newsom may be investigated. The governor is likely to use that as a defense, he said.
Shanlon Wu, also a former federal prosecutor, told Newsweek the investigation appears to be "continued standard operating procedure for how the Trump Justice Department is functioning."
"They seem to focus exclusively on targeting who Trump perceives as political enemies. It is a tragic moment that a Stalin-era quote from Lavrentiy Beria now seems apt: 'Show me the man, I'll show you the crime,'" he said.
The DOJ has opened investigations into other prominent Trump critics, including Comey, James, former CIA Director John Brennan and ex-Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The Powell investigation, notably, has been dropped.
Democrats were quick to criticize the Newsom investigation.
Jonathan Underland, spokesman for California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra, criticized the investigation in a statement to Newsweek.
“Donald Trump called for Governor Newsom’s arrest, then ordered his DOJ to try to manufacture a crime to justify it — and when that wasn’t enough, he went after the Governor’s wife. This is what authoritarians do: they don’t investigate crimes, they attack their critics,” he wrote.
"Emulating Putin and Erdogan, Trump has turned our government into a dictatorship and cult of personality. Every aspect of the Department of Justice now serves his corrupt political agenda. It’s revolting, and it’s further reason why Todd Blanche should not be confirmed as AG," Representative Yassamin Ansari, an Arizona Democrat, wrote on X.
Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, told CNN that the administration should leave "Jennifer Newsom out of this."
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"She's an advocate for women and girls," he said. "I don't like when people come after folks' families, and here you don't have any credibility with the Trump Justice Department. They have engaged in retribution against Adam Schiff. They have engaged in retribution against Comey."
Schiff described the investigation as an "abuse."
"The governor won't be silenced," he said. "Nor will my Senate colleagues. Nor will I. In the face of vindictive and baseless investigations, we are defiant and unbowed."
Republicans pushed back on the weaponization claims, with conservative commentator Benny Johnson writing on X: "Nobody cares that you’re 'considering' running for President, Gavin. No other state runs elections as poorly and spends more tax dollars on blatant fraud than California. It sounds like Gavin is trying to get ahead of something."
Newsom’s Presidential Ambitions
Newsom is viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate and polls suggest he would be among the front-runners in the Democratic primary.
A new poll from TIPP released Monday showed Newsom polling at 14 percent support, behind only former Vice President Kamala Harris at 31 percent. It surveyed 593 Democratic voters May 26-28 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.
A Focal Data poll showed similar results—Harris led with 36 percent, compared to Newsom’s 16 percent. Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg received 8 percent support, while New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s support stood at 7 percent. It surveyed 1,719 voters May 29-June 1.
Some Democrats point to Newsom's social media trolling of Trump as an example of better communication that could help the party win back support.
But some critics believe the governor of California, among the most Democratic states in the country, may not resonate with a national audience. He also lacks support from progressives, many of whom prefer other possible candidates such as Ocasio-Cortez.
Newsom has neither confirmed nor ruled out a 2028 run. Typically, candidates wait until after the midterms to make formal plans, but campaigns could be well underway in less than a year.
"I'm not thinking about running, but it's a path that I could see unfold,” he told The Wall Street Journal in June 2025.
Newsom's Possible 2028 Rivals Slam Investigation
Khanna, also viewed as a potential 2028 candidate, said on CNN he does not "look at the politics of it" when asked whether the investigation could bolster Newsom in the primary.
"This is not going to be something that divides Democrats," he said.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker wrote in a post to X that the investigation "represents a dangerous escalation by Trump."
"The President frequently calls for the jailing of his perceived enemies, but his playbook of weaponizing the Department of Justice as a personal attack dog is another level of corruption," he wrote on X. "This must stop."
Todd Blanche Asked About Newsom Investigation
Todd Blanche, Trump's nominee to serve as attorney general, was asked about the investigation by CNN reporter Manu Raju, who wrote to X that Blanche did not provide any details.
Newsom's press office called out Blanche on X, writing, "WOW. Trump's former personal attorney — now head of the DOJ — doesn’t deny that after Trump called for Gavin Newsom's arrest, he then ordered a baseless investigation into him and his family!"
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