OAN Staff James Meyers
4:57 PM – Friday, April 18, 2025
The Trump administration has indicated its intent to seek a change of venue for California Governor Gavin Newsom’s lawsuit challenging its tariff policies, aiming to move the case from a federal court in San Francisco to one in New York.
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Justice Department (DOJ) attorneys on Thursday argued that the dispute should take place in the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York — since it has sole jurisdiction over matters related to tariffs.
The Democrat governor, who is being considered as a possible 2028 presidential candidate for the Democrat Party, filed the suit alongside California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D-Calif.) in U.S. District Court of Northern California earlier this week.
The lawsuit argues that the 47th president went above his authority, by putting in place emergency powers to impose extensive tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China.
Additionally, the lawsuit highlights Trump’s invocation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, claiming it does not authorize presidential tariff imposition without explicit congressional approval.
“Congress has the power to impose tariffs, not the president,” Bonta told the Washington Post.
The state’s attorney general claimed that President Trump exceeded Constitutional boundaries.
“The president has overreached again. He’s welcome to exercise his authority within his given jurisdiction, but not outside his given authority,” Bonta stated.
The Democrat governor declared that the tariffs will have significant economic drawbacks, especially in California, which has the world’s fifth-largest economy. California’s economy is also the largest in the United States, with a gross state product (GSP) of $4.132 trillion — as of Q3 2024.
“No state is poised to lose more than the state of California,” Newsom argued during a press conference following the lawsuit’s filing.
Newsom went on to criticize Congress, asserting that its members are failing to fulfill their responsibilities.
“Where the hell is Congress? Where the hell is Speaker Johnson? Do your job,” Newsom said, referring to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).
The lawsuit alleges that Trump’s tariffs pose immediate threats to California’s economic stability — harming sectors that include agriculture, entertainment, and manufacturing. State officials say that the resulting increased costs would “directly impact” consumers and potentially hinder California’s policy initiatives.
“All told, President Trump’s tariffs will transform the State of California’s economic situation, put at risk its position as the fifth largest economy in the world, and directly impact Governor Newsom’s ability to deliver on his policy goals for all Californians,” the legal filing contends.
Additionally, three lawsuits challenging the tariffs have been filed by a number of advocacy groups and the Blackfeet Nation tribe from Montana.
The GOP administration recently paused some proposed tariffs for 90 days, aiming for negotiations with trading partners like Israel, Japan, Vietnam, and South Korea. However, broad tariffs remain on nearly all imported goods — with significant levies on China.
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