Newsom alleges Trump put him and his wife on DOJ ‘hit list’ over a potential 2028 presidential run

WASHINGTON, DC: Gavin Newsom claimed that he has landed on Donald Trump’s political “hit list,” with the president directing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

The 58-year-old California governor maintained in an X post that Trump isn’t targeting him over “mean tweets, but because I am considering running for president.”

Newsom, who has raised his national profile in recent months through his public clashes with the president, is widely considered a strong contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.

“Today, my wife & I joined Donald Trump’s hit list. He has directed his Department of Justice to investigate us,” he said in a post on X.

Gavin Newsom alleges DOJ intimidation campaign

Newsom released a nearly five-minute video explaining that federal agents had “knocked on the doors of family friends and former employees. Not because they’ve found a crime, but because they’re trying to find one.”

He said investigators have demanded records and “random documents.”

The governor did not comment on the substance of the probe but said agents were “coming after my wife, Jen, a public servant, a woman who’s dedicated her life to supporting women and girls, someone who has done nothing wrong other than having the temerity to advocate for what she believes in.”

“If they can’t intimidate me, they’ll go after the mother of our children. Donald Trump picked the wrong target. We have nothing to hide,” he said.

Newsom cited a growing list of political adversaries whom he says have been targeted by the Trump administration, including former FBI Director James Comey, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Minnesota Governor 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,” Newsom said. The governor then slammed the administration for targeting his wife, calling the investigation Trump’s “personal vendetta.”

“You can subpoena my records. You can investigate me. You can harass me,” Newsom said. “Put my name on every and any enemy’s list you have, but leave my wife and family out of your personal vendetta.”

Walz also reacted to Newsom's allegation, tweeting "The Justice Department is not a tool for the President to investigate his political opponents. Welcome to the BS investigations club, Governor Newsom. You’re in good company."

Multiple federal probes target Gavin Newsom

A person with knowledge of the matter told the Daily Mail that the governor is the subject of several ongoing federal investigations.

One investigation is examining Jennifer Newsom's finances, while another involves his former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, who recently pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court, and potentially current staff members.

According to the source, the investigations were launched in California rather than Washington and are being overseen by the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California, which covers Sacramento, the state capital.

Siebel Newsom has been interviewed by investigators in that probe, which is focused on evidence suggesting personal use of nonprofit funds, CNBC reported.

Newsom’s allegations came a few weeks after his former chief of staff, Dana Williamson, pleaded guilty to multiple federal offenses, including conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud, filing a false tax return, and providing false information to a federal agent.