President Trump targets California in State of the Union address
UTILITY HOPES TO HAVE POWER RESTORED TONIGHT. TURNING NOW TO THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, PRESIDENT TRUMP USED THE FIRST STATE OF THE UNION SPEECH OF HIS SECOND TERM TO CONVINCE AMERICANS THE COUNTRY IS BOOMING. HE ALSO PLEDGED MORE TARIFFS AND RESTRICTIVE IMMIGRATION ACTION. DESPITE RECENT POLLS SHOWING THESE ISSUES ARE DRAGGING HIS APPROVAL RATING DOWN. KCRA KCRA 3’S RACHEL HIRSCHHEIMER IS ON CAPITOL HILL NOW WITH HOW HE MADE HIS CASE. PRESIDENT TRUMP DEFENDED HIS RECORD ON THE ECONOMY TUESDAY NIGHT AND ALSO TRIED TO SWAY SKEPTICAL VOTERS THAT THE ECONOMY IS STRONGER THAN MANY BELIEVE. THIS IS THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA. WHEN I LAST SPOKE IN THIS CHAMBER 12 MONTHS AGO, I HAD JUST INHERITED A NATION IN CRISIS WITH A STAGNANT ECONOMY. THROUGHOUT HIS SPEECH, THE PRESIDENT ALSO PRAISED HIS IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND HIS PUSH TO PRESERVE WIDESPREAD TARIFFS. EVEN AFTER THE SUPREME COURT STRUCK DOWN A LARGE PORTION OF THEM. HE ALSO VOWED TO USE ALTERNATIVE LAWS TO IMPOSE TAXES ON IMPORTS, AND SAID CONGRESSIONAL ACTION WILL NOT BE NECESSARY. NOW, RECENT POLLS SHOW THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS DISAPPROVE OF THE PRESIDENT’S WORK ON THE ECONOMY. BUT HE DIDN’T DWELL ON EFFORTS TO LOWER THE COST OF LIVING. NOW, ONE OF THE MOST CONTENTIOUS MOMENTS CAME WHEN PRESIDENT TRUMP WARNED ABOUT THE DANGERS POSED BY IMMIGRANTS, CHALLENGING DEMOCRATS TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY, WHICH THEY DID NOT. IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT, THEN STAND UP AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT. THE FIRST DUTY OF THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT IS TO PROTECT AMERICAN CITIZENS, NOT ILLEGAL ALIENS. THE PRESIDENT ALSO ADDRESSED THE TENSIONS BETWEEN THE U.S. AND IRAN, SAYING HE WANTS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM THROUGH DIPLOMACY WHILE ALSO NOTING HE DOES NOT WANT IRAN TO HAVE ACCESS TO NUCLEAR WEAPONS. ON CAPITOL HILL, I’M RACHEL HIRSCHHEIMER, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO USED THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS TO CRITICIZE SOME DEMOCRATIC LED STATES LIKE CALIFORNIA WITHOUT DIRECTLY NAMING THEM, THOUGH THOSE JABS CAME ESPECIALLY WHILE DOUBLING DOWN ON HIS IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN. HE CALLED ON CONGRESS TO END SANCTUARY CITIES AND CREATE NEW CONSEQUENCES FOR PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHO BLOCKED THE REMOVAL OF UNDOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE CRIMINALS. HE ALSO PUSHED TO PROHIBIT ANY STATE FROM GRANTING COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S LICENSES TO IMMIGRANTS WITHOUT LEGAL STATUS. NOW, ON A SEPARATE TOPIC, VOTING, THE PRESIDENT ALSO CALLED ON CONGRESS TO PASS THE SAFE ACT, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE VOTER I.D. IN ELECTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. HE ALSO CALLED FOR NO MORE MAIL-IN BALLOTS, WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS. THEN, ON THE TOPIC OF FRAUD, THAT’S WHEN THE PRESIDENT NAME DROPPED CALIFORNIA, MASSACHUSETTS, MAINE AND MANY OTHER STATES ARE EVEN WORSE. THIS IS THE KIND OF CORRUPTION THAT SHREDS THE FABRIC OF A NATION, AND WE ARE WORKING ON IT LIKE YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE. SO TONIGHT, ALTHOUGH STARTED FOUR MONTHS AGO, I AM OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCING THE WAR ON FRAUD TO BE LED BY OUR GREAT VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE. NOW, THE PRESIDENT DID NOT PROVIDE SPECIFICS ON CALIFORNIA’S FRAUD CLAIM IN RESPONSE TO THIS. ON X, GOVERNOR NEWSOM POSTED, QUOTE, THE FRAUD. AMERICA SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT IS THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS DONALD TRUMP HAS ENRICHED HIMSELF WITH WHILE IN OFFICE. END QUOTE. THE GOVERNOR WAS WATCHING FROM THE EAST COAST. HE IS IN NEW YORK FOR HIS BOOK TOUR, AS H
President Trump targets California in State of the Union address
Updated: 8:25 AM PST Feb 25, 2026
President Trump criticized Democratic-led states, including California, during his State of the Union address.The jabs came as he was doubling down on his immigration crackdown. Trump called on Congress to end sanctuary cities and create new consequences for public officials who block the removal of undocumented immigrants who are criminals. He also pushed to prohibit any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants without legal status.On a separate topic, voting, Trump urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act, which would require voter ID in elections nationwide. He also called for no more mail-in ballots with few exceptions. Trump mentioned California when alleging fraud. “California, Massachusetts, Maine and many other states are worse, this is the kind of corruption that shreds the fabric of a nation,” he said. “We are working on it like you wouldn’t believe. And tonight I am officially declaring the war on fraud led by our great Vice President J.D. Vance.” The president did not provide specifics on California’s fraud.In a response, Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X, “The fraud America should be talking about is the billions of dollars Donald Trump has enriched himself with while in office.”The governor was watching from the East Coast, as he was in New York for his book tour.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
President Trump criticized Democratic-led states, including California, during his State of the Union address.
The jabs came as he was doubling down on his immigration crackdown. Trump called on Congress to end sanctuary cities and create new consequences for public officials who block the removal of undocumented immigrants who are criminals.
He also pushed to prohibit any state from granting commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants without legal status.
On a separate topic, voting, Trump urged Congress to pass the SAVE Act, which would require voter ID in elections nationwide.
He also called for no more mail-in ballots with few exceptions.
Trump mentioned California when alleging fraud.
“California, Massachusetts, Maine and many other states are worse, this is the kind of corruption that shreds the fabric of a nation,” he said. “We are working on it like you wouldn’t believe. And tonight I am officially declaring the war on fraud led by our great Vice President J.D. Vance.”
The president did not provide specifics on California’s fraud.
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President Trump says he’s officially announcing the “war on fraud,” after pointing to blue states including California.
He says the effort will be led by J.D. Vance.
“We’re going to take care of this problem, we are not playing games.”
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) February 25, 2026
This content is imported from Twitter.
You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
In a response, Gov. Gavin Newsom posted on X, “The fraud America should be talking about is the billions of dollars Donald Trump has enriched himself with while in office.”
The governor was watching from the East Coast, as he was in New York for his book tour.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel