Newsom To Probe Claims Of Trump-Critical Censorship At TikTok
California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom announced he is exploring whether TikTok may be violating state law by allegedly suppressing content critical of President Donald J. Trump, a move that comes amid growing liberal outrage over perceived shifts in the platform’s political moderation.
Democrats and progressive activists have accused TikTok of flagging or throttling posts critical of the Trump administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), claims that surfaced just days after the company finalized a deal to avoid a nationwide ban in the United States. The White House backed the agreement, which established a new governance structure featuring a board with mostly American members—one that critics on the left argue gives Trump allies significant influence over the app’s U.S. operations.
“It’s time to investigate,” Newsom said.
In a separate X post on Monday, the governor’s official account said Newsom ordered the review after his office “received reports — and independently confirmed instances — of suppressed content critical of President Trump.” The post added that Newsom is “calling on the California Department of Justice to determine whether it violates California law.”
The controversy follows TikTok’s $14 billion deal to create a U.S.-based subsidiary, a restructuring that places Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison—a billionaire and outspoken Trump supporter—at the center of the platform’s new ownership and security framework. Oracle has invested heavily in the new venture.
Newsom’s latest announcement comes as the governor has sharply escalated his rhetoric against President Trump and federal immigration enforcement.
In recent remarks, Newsom accused President Donald Trump and the Department of Homeland Security of deliberately fueling unrest as Democrats ramped up opposition to immigration enforcement actions in Minnesota.
“He’s trying to stoke a Civil War in this country,” Newsom told reporters.
“It’s a disgrace what he’s doing in Minneapolis,” he said. “It’s a disgrace what his DHS is putting out. Very intentionally stoking tensions. White supremacy being promoted. None of this is normal and it cannot be normalized.”
Newsom did not explain how enforcing federal immigration law constitutes white supremacy, nor how deporting individuals who are in the country illegally amounts to creating civil war–like conditions.
Historically, roughly 700,000 Americans—including a sitting president—were killed during the U.S. Civil War, a death toll that would equate to millions of lives lost when adjusted for today’s population.
The governor’s inflammatory comments came as Democrats in multiple states intensified public resistance to Trump’s immigration policies, particularly in jurisdictions controlled by the party.
Newsom, who is widely expected to pursue the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028, has increasingly echoed the language and priorities of the party’s far-left, pro-migration wing. His remarks followed a coordinated wave of statements from Democratic officials warning of unrest and alleged abuses tied to federal immigration operations.
President Trump, however, struck a notably different tone on Monday, announcing that Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has agreed to cooperate fully with federal authorities in an effort to de-escalate tensions in the state. Trump said Walz personally called him to discuss coordination regarding Minnesota.
The president described the exchange as “a very good call” and said the two leaders were “on a similar wavelength.”
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said he would have border czar Tom Homan contact Walz and emphasized that federal authorities want “any and all Criminals that they have in their possession.”
Trump said Walz “very respectfully understood that” and added that he expects to speak with the governor again soon.
The president also pointed to what he called “tremendous SUCCESS” in Washington, D.C., Memphis, Tennessee, and New Orleans, Louisiana, citing declines in crime following federal intervention. He added that crime in Minnesota is “way down,” but said both he and Walz “want to make it better.”
The developments follow weeks of heightened tension in Minneapolis linked to federal immigration enforcement efforts aimed at detaining illegal criminal aliens.