California: Governor Newsom, state and Jewish Caucus leadership slam Trump DOJ’s billion-dollar UCLA political shakedown
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Aug 8, 2025

Governor Newsom, state and Jewish Caucus leadership slam Trump DOJ's billion-dollar UCLA political shakedown

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom, California Legislative Jewish Caucus Co-Chairs Senator  Scott Wiener and Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire, and Speaker Robert Rivas today condemned the Trump Administration's unprecedented assault on academic freedom by demanding that the University of California pay more than $1 billion in exchange for restoring frozen medical and science grant funding.

Joint statement from Governor Gavin Newsom, California Legislative Jewish Caucus Co-Chairs Scott Wiener and Jesse Gabriel, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, Attorney General Rob Bonta, Senate President pro Tempore Mike McGuire, and Speaker Robert Rivas:

"This isn't about protecting Jewish students — it's a billion-dollar political shakedown from the pay-to-play president. Trump has weaponized the Department of Justice to punish California, crush free thinking, and kneecap the greatest public university system in the world. UCLA has taken aggressive, concrete steps to crack down on the vile scourge of antisemitism on campus, and we are confident Chancellor Frenk remains committed to this critical work. As Jewish leaders and strong allies, we are united against Trump's assault and will fight like hell because California will not bow to this kind of disgusting political extortion."

While the Trump administration cuts anti-hate crime funding nationwide, his DOJ's unprecedented weaponization of justice is a move designed to undermine academic freedom, punish California students, and cripple life-saving research. Earlier this week, the UC system offered to engage in good-faith dialogue with the DOJ to protect the University's critical research mission. Instead, Trump's DOJ has threatened an unprecedented payment so large it would devastate the nation's greatest public university system — punishing millions of Californians and sabotaging innovations that benefit the entire country.

The UC system generates $82 billion annually for America's economy, supporting over 500,000 jobs across California and the nation. UC researchers produce approximately 1,500 inventions a year and hold more than 13,800 active patents — more than any other university system in the world — that keep Americans healthy, safe, and power the economy.

California's strong record: Confronting hate on campus

In 2024, Governor Newsom launched the Golden State Plan to Counter Antisemitism — a comprehensive statewide strategy to combat antisemitism through education, community partnerships, improved data collection, and enhanced security for at-risk institutions. The plan builds on California's record investments in fighting antisemitism, Holocaust and genocide education, hate crime prevention, and campus safety.

California has taken decisive action to ensure its schools remain places of safety, inclusion, and learning. In close partnership with the California Legislative Jewish Caucus, Governor Newsom advanced a suite of legislation and budget actions aimed at confronting campus hate and protecting students from harassment, intimidation, and discrimination.

These efforts include the 2024-25 Budget Act, which requires every UC and CSU campus to prepare a campus climate action notification annually, with campus plans for fostering healthy and safe discourse, bringing together campus community members with different viewpoints, and promoting the exchange of ideas in a safe and peaceful manner.

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Further, SB 1287 by former Senator Glazer, resulted in the University of California and the California State University system updating their student codes of conduct to explicitly prohibit violent or discriminatory behavior that creates a hostile environment. It also mandates that every student undergo training and formally acknowledge these standards — making clear that hate has no place in California's higher education system.

To ensure that students understand how to identify and respond to discrimination, AB 2925 by Assemblymember Friedman requires California's public and private colleges that receive state funding to include targeted anti-discrimination training to prevent discrimination on how to combat and address discrimination against the five most targeted groups in the state.

Last year, the Governor also signed SB 1277 by Senator Stern, which strengthened California's commitment to education by establishing the California Teachers Collaborative for Holocaust and Genocide Education. This first-of-its-kind statewide program provides professional development for K-12 educators, equipping them to teach the history of the Holocaust and other genocides — and, just as importantly, to help students recognize the warning signs of bigotry and hate today.

Strengthening community security

California continues to make unprecedented investments in the safety of vulnerable communities, including:
  • $160 million in new funding through the 2024-25 state budget for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program — $80 million per year for two years — to protect houses of worship and community institutions.
  • $140 million invested since 2021 to help nonprofits targeted by hate make security upgrades such as reinforced doors, alarms, and lighting.
  • $20 million added in October 2023 to double nonprofit security funding for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
  • $10 million allocated in 2023-24 to support local law enforcement's in-person security presence at religious institutions during heightened threat periods.

In July 2024, Governor Newsom expedited $76 million in grant funding for at-risk nonprofits — including synagogues. In March 2025, 347 organizations were awarded funding to strengthen their physical security.

Holocaust and Genocide Education Council Report

In January 2025, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Governor's Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education released "Holocaust and Genocide Education in California: A Study of Statewide Context and Local Implementation."

In 2021, following a disturbing increase in antisemitic hate, Governor Newsom established the Governor's Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education to identify instructional resources to teach students across California about the Holocaust and other acts of genocide and provide young people with the tools necessary to recognize and respond to instances of antisemitism and bigotry. The Council assessed the status of Holocaust and genocide education in California, made recommendations for how to improve Holocaust and genocide education in our schools, and will now work to promote best practices for educators, schools and organizations and sponsor Holocaust and genocide remembrance.

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UC's actions

UC leaders have instituted comprehensive reforms and programs systemwide to promote safety and combat all forms of harassment and discrimination, including antisemitism, on our campuses. Learn more about those comprehensive, detailed actions here.

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