California Governor Gavin Newsom is once again mocking the Trump administration, this time criticizing the Department of Justice (DOJ).
On Thursday, the DOJ sued to block new congressional district boundaries approved by California voters last week.
Newsom criticized the administration for an error in the lawsuit. The mistake has drawn attention as the legal fight over the state’s new congressional map intensifies ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Highlights
- The California DOJ sued to block new congressional boundaries approved by voters, citing racial gerrymandering claims.
- Governor Newsom mocked the DOJ for incorrectly calling California’s legislature a ‘General Assembly’ like North Carolina.
- Proposition 50 aims to redraw districts to help Democrats win five Republican-held seats in 2026 midterms.
Gavin Newsom pointed out an error in the DOJ's lawsuit against California
Image credits: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
Proposition 50, a constitutional amendment, was approved by a majority of California’s voters. It aims to change the congressional boundaries of the state to give Democrats a shot at winning five seats in next year’s midterm elections.
California follows the lead of three Republican-led states, Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina, that revamped district lines after Trump called for new maps to expand GOP numbers in the House.
Unlike California, they have not faced federal legal action.
The Justice Department joined a case that was first brought by the California Republican Party last week.
Image credits: Alex Wong/Getty Images
It argues that California’s new map was drawn based on racial gerrymandering by using race as a factor to favor Hispanic voters.
They allege the map violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
“California’s redistricting scheme is a brazen power grab that tramples on civil rights and mocks the democratic process,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Governor Newsom’s attempt to entrench one-party rule and silence millions of Californians will not stand.”
Newsom quickly pushed back on X, saying, “These losers lost at the ballot box and soon they will also lose in court.”
He then pointed out the legal error. The lawsuit begins with, “Race cannot be used as a proxy to advance political interests, but that is precisely what the California General Assembly did with Proposition 50.”
“California General Assembly” is a term used for North Carolina’s legislature, not California’s. The DOJ possibly meant to say California’s State Assembly, referring to the lower house of the California State Legislature.
The mistake was first highlighted by an X user, Vance Ulrich, who wrote, “I’ve been following CA politics a long time, but I never realized the CA Legislature was a 'General Assembly.' This is not North Carolina. Not sending their best!”
Newsom’s Press Office re-posted the tweet, adding, “When Trump’s hand-picked hacks at DOJ can’t tell California from North Carolina, you know the lawsuit is about as credible as Trump’s 'I don’t know Epstein' line.”
Republican-led states have not faced legal challenges from the DOJ
However, Bondi has doubled down on the suit. “It wasn’t even illicit, they are flat-out publicizing what they are trying to do and why they are trying to do it,” she said on Fox News on Thursday.
She added: “They’re trying to create seats based on race and they can’t do it and we are going to hold them accountable just like any other state. They very publicly said what they’re trying to do and it’s illegal gerrymandering, they cannot do it."
"We sued him today. We will continue suing California until they start complying with the laws of our country.”
Trump has also shared his frustration over the redistribution, writing on Truth Social, “The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED.”