SACRAMENTO –
Governor Gavin Newsom is taking California’s message to the world: President Trump’s trade war does not speak for the Golden State.
And he’s hitting the airwaves abroad to share his message.
As part of World Trade Month, Newsom launched a global media tour this week, speaking with major broadcasters in the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea. His goal: to counter the economic anxiety stemming from what he calls the “Trump Slump.”
“California is under assault,” Newsom said during a recent budget briefing in Sacramento. The governor cited Trump’s tariffs as a key reason the state’s deficit ballooned by $12 billion, pushing the total shortfall to over $23 billion in the revised 2025-26 budget.
On BBC Newsnight in London, Newsom told journalist Paddy O’Connell that the reckless tariff policies are hurting California the most. “We’re 14% of the U.S. economy,” he said. “Our success is America’s success.” British-owned companies employ over 130,000 Californians, yet tourism from the UK has dropped 22% since March 2024.
In Canada, Newsom warned on CTV that “the Trump Slump has already begun,” noting Canadian tourism is down 16% year-over-year. California and Canada exchanged over $34 billion in goods in 2024.
Speaking with TV Tokyo’s Nikkei in Japan, Newsom emphasized California’s reliability: “We come with an open hand, not a clenched fist.” Japan is California’s second largest source of foreign investment, contributing to more than $38 billion in two-way trade.
During an interview on TV Azteca in Mexico, California’s largest export market, Newsom stressed the real-time damage being felt at the state’s ports. “No state has been more affected by these tariffs than California.” The state exported $33.5 billion to Mexico in 2024 alone.
In South Korea, he spoke with MBC News Desk about shared prosperity. “Your success is our success,” he said. Korea is California’s sixth largest export market.
Back in Sacramento, Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a motion this week seeking to block Trump’s tariffs in court, calling them unconstitutional and economically harmful. California led the charge with a lawsuit in April, and 12 other states have since followed.
“California is a global partner, not an isolationist,” Newsom declared. “We won’t let bad politics ruin good relationships.”
