California Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta said Wednesday they are suing the Trump administration in federal court over tariffs that President Donald Trump cleans up on US trading partners.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California alleges that President Donald Trump does not have presidential authorities to unilaterally impose tariffs using the International Economic Emergency Rights Act, according to Newsom’s office.
The state requires that the court declared that it will invalidate tariffs and block implementation, according to the governor’s office.
The Democratic governor, who announced the lawsuit in his latest podcast episode, said Trump “does not have the one-sided authority to impose one of the biggest tax increases in US history.”
Newsom continues, “The impact of these tariffs is felt disproportionately in California, the number one manufacturing country in the United States.
Newsom is the 2028 Democratic presidential candidate and frequently a Trump critic. On a recently released podcast, he hosted conservatives such as Charlie Kirk and Steve Bannon as guest hosts.
In a statement Wednesday, Bonta said the president’s tariffs were “not only deeply troublesome, but also illegal.”
“Californians are seeking fallout from the effects of their choices, from farmers in Central Valley to small businesses in Sacramento to worrying at kitchen tables. “I am proud to go to the bat with the governor to fight for California’s vibrant economy, businesses and residents.”
The lawsuit alleges that Trump cannot use the International Economic Emergency Rights Act to unilaterally impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China or create a full 10% tariff, the governor’s office said.
Trump has tariffs on most foreign countries, with China facing the biggest amount, 145%, and other countries facing 10% after the president retreated from carrying out a higher duties for 90 days last week.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, Trump promoted the tariffs, saying, “We’re making a lot of money, we’ve just taken billions of billions of dollars into it, and we’ve just taken America for decades, decades.”
The White House did not immediately respond to an NBC News request Wednesday due to comments on the state’s lawsuit.
Alexandra Marquez contributed.