Newsom Responds to DOJ Seeking $1 Billion UCLA Civil Rights Settlement

Last month, Columbia University agreed to pay out $200 million to settle claims of discriminatory practices on the campus.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a press conference, accompanied by Texas Democratic legislators, at the governor’s mansion in Sacramento, Calif., on Aug. 8, 2025. Carlos Barria/Reuters

California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the Trump administration on Aug. 8 after the Department of Justice sought a $1 billion settlement against the University of California–Los Angeles, over alleged anti-Semitism and other civil rights violations at the university.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, California’s Democratic governor said the president “has threatened us through extortion with a billion-dollar fine unless we do his bidding.”