California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Monday that President Trump is “scared of California,” calling it the “most un-Trump state in America.”
Newsom was responding to Trump’s State of the Union address last week, in which he criticized California for “costing taxpayers vast and unaffordable amounts of money,” and for the state’s sanctuary law protecting undocumented immigrants.
The governor told ABC’s “The View” that Trump holds a grudge against his state because he lost it by 4 million votes in the last election to Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“We are the most un-Trump state in America,” he said. “We are also the most diverse state in America.”
Newsom added that the state, with the fifth largest economy in the world, has proven that progressive values “work at scale.”
“Trump is scared of California,” he said.
The governor encouraged the audience to focus more on local, county and state government accomplishments and get a “frame of optimism” instead of concentrating exclusively on Washington.
Newsom also told the hosts on “The View” that he has “no interest” in becoming the next vice president.
“Honestly, I have no interest in that,” he said. “I love my job. I really do love my job.”
Newsom and his state have repeatedly been targets of criticism from Trump, who has slammed the governor over handling of homelessness and wildfires, among other issues.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), frequent targets of the president and key figures in the impeachment hearings and trial, are both from California.