Sensing political opportunity, Newsom touts investigation he says is Trump's doing

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SACRAMENTO — Gov.Gavin Newsom did something this week that most politicians would only in a nightmare: He announced that the federal government is investigating him and his wife.The revelation, delivered in a direct-to-camera 4½-minute video set against a backdrop of U.S.

and California flags, became a top headline across the country.In the upside-down politics of the Trump era, that was exactly as intended.“He seems to be wearing this as a badge of honor because his brand is being the strongest opponent of Donald Trump,” said Thad Kousser, a professor of political science at UC San Diego.“The ability to show that you’re going on offense and that you know how to effectively fight back against this president is part of making your case for office.” Politics Newsom said that in recent days, “federal agents have knocked on the doors of family friends and former employees,” and have been “demanding records” in a quest to find any kind of wrongdoing by him or his wife.As he eyes a run for president in 2028, an antagonistic relationship with President Trump is Newsom’s political currency.

So when friends and former employees said the FBI and Internal Revenue Service had knocked on their doors and asked about him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, last Wednesday, the governor took advantage of the situation to boost his political profile.“Mr.

President, come after me,” Newsom said in the video he posted online.“I’m not going anywhere, and the country is watching.”Newsom, who is in his final year as California’s governor, has not declared his intent to run for president, though his claim that Trump is targeting him because he’s considering a bid for the White House was an open acknowledgment of his thoughts about the future.

Announcing the probe himself — before federal authorities had a chance to describe it on their terms — allowed him to...