Newsom says Trump directed DOJ to investigate him and his wife

Gavin Newsom said in a video statement on Monday that President Donald Trump directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to launch investigations into him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom. The California governor stated that in recent days, federal agents had approached family friends and former employees, demanding records and "abusing the grand jury process" in an effort to find a crime.

"Donald Trump isn't just coming after me because of my mean tweets, he's coming after me because I am considering running for president. Because he hates that I have consistently called him out over and over again for his lies and deceit," Newsom said. He also noted that Trump had called for his arrest last year.

Newsom pointed to several other political rivals of Trump who have faced administration investigations, including James Comey, Letitia James, and Tim Walz. "One by one, anyone who has challenged Donald Trump has ended up on his hit list. And today, I proudly join that list," he said.

The governor criticized the administration for targeting his wife. "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 added.

The New York Times reported, citing an unnamed source, that the administration has multiple federal investigations into Newsom, including one examining Siebel Newsom's finances. Jennifer Siebel Newsom has increasingly become a target of the right as her husband emerges as an early frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination. Conservatives have criticized her advocacy for equal pay and gender equity, with columnists suggesting she is "single-handedly wrecking" Newsom's presidential ambitions. Republican candidate for California governor Steve Hilton labeled the Newsoms a "grifter family."

The Guardian has approached the Department of Justice for comment but has not yet received a response.