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VIDEO | 01:37
Citing ‘extortion,’ Newsom says ‘we’ll sue’ after Trump seeks $1-billion fine against UCLA
California

Citing ‘extortion,’ Newsom says ‘we’ll sue’ after Trump seeks $1-billion fine against UCLA

By Jaweed Kaleem
, Michael Wilner and Mark E. Potts
Hours after the Trump administration demanded that the University of California pay a $1-billion fine to settle federal accusations of antisemitism in exchange for restoring frozen grant funding to UCLA, Gov. Gavin Newsom called the proposal “extortion” and said the state will go to court to protect the nation’s premier university system.

“We’ll sue,” Newsom said during a news conference with Texas legislators over California’s effort to counter a contentious Republican redistricting plan in that state.

President Trump is “trying to silence academic freedom” by “attacking one of the most important public institutions in the United States of America,” Newsom said, adding that he would “stand tall and push back against that, and I believe every member of California Legislature feels the same way.”
CaliforniaPolitics
Jaweed Kaleem

Jaweed Kaleem is an education reporter at the Los Angeles Times, where he covers the University of California and higher education. He specializes in reporting on campus activism and culture, including issues on free speech, religion, race and politics. Kaleem previously worked for The Times as a Los Angeles-based national correspondent and a London-based foreign correspondent. Follow him on Bluesky @jaweedkaleem.bsky.social and X @jaweedkaleem.

Michael Wilner

Michael Wilner is the Washington bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times. He has spent more than a decade covering the federal government with a focus on the White House. Before joining The Times, Wilner was chief Washington correspondent for McClatchy, where his enterprise and international reporting was recognized with multiple awards. He previously covered foreign affairs in Washington and overseas for the Jerusalem Post. Wilner is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College and Columbia University and is a native of New York City.

Mark E. Potts

Mark E. Potts is the senior editor for video at the Los Angeles Times. A native of Enid, Okla., Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. He has created and edited video for DreamWorks, YouTube, Microsoft, Sony and BET.

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