Governor Newsom Goes After Proposed Trump Tariffs While At Site Of New U.S.-Mexico Border Crossing

During a speech at the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday in support of a new port of entry, California Governor Gavin Newsom went off on a tangent about President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs with Mexico, denouncing them as a “betrayal.”

Governor Newsom arrived at the site of the Otay Mesa East port of entry on Thursday, praising the new crossing as vital for reducing the delay times for cargo coming across as well as being important in fighting against drug trafficking. According to the press release from the Governor’s office, Newsom went to “support growing international trade, which keeps costs down for families and reduces wait times for businesses and workers.”

As trade between California and Mexico through land ports of entry was valued at more than $88 billion last year, Newsom said it was vital to clear up delays. He specifically noted that at other California-Baja ports of entry, delays amounted to a loss of $3.4 billion in economic output and 88,000 jobs.

Otay Mesa East would help alleviate these delays, as well as push back against drug trafficking. In addition to his support of the new crossing, Newsom also announced a new initiative by the California National Guard (CalGuard) to enhance border security and go against cartel drug and weapon smuggling operations.

“This new port-of-entry will strengthen California’s world-leading economy, create jobs, and support regional communities through trade. At the same time, we’re further stepping up border security with a new CalGuard initiative targeting the cash and weapons that fuel cartel violence, complementing our successful efforts to block fentanyl from entering our state. California is proving that we can build strong international partnerships with Mexico — our top trading partner — to grow our economy and create jobs while prioritizing the safety and well-being of our communities,” said Newsom on Thursday.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas added that ” The new Otay Mesa East Port of Entry is an example of the strong partnership between the Biden-Harris Administration, the Government of Mexico, and the State of California to enhance our international trade and economic vitality, while ensuring our border security.”

Officials added that Otay Mesa East, long behind schedule, is now expected to be open by 2027 and will be the third major port of entry in San Diego County. Supported by the Biden administration, the incoming Trump administration has also shown support for the new crossing.

Despite this, Newsom went off on a tangent during his speech at the border against Trump. Specifically, he targeted Trump’s proposed 25% tariffs against Mexico and Canada.

Newsom at the border

“The tariffs are one of the biggest tax increases in U.S. history. Don’t think for a second this won’t impact you. 90% of these tariffs will impact bottom of our economic chain, meaning lower wage workers that pay over half of these taxes. You are being betrayed by these policies. A tariff is a tax that you pay for. It’s not even complicated. I hope we can all agree the impacts on this region and your pocketbook will universally be felt regardless of your politics. That’s a betrayal that needs to be revealed to those that embraced and supported this agenda.

“There is no economic growth in America without the success and the vibrancy of this region. And those farmers and ranchers will be impacted disproportionately if these tariffs go into effect. And I didn’t even bring up the mass deportation components of it. You know better than I do when you look at farm workers, the last estimate, roughly half are undocumented. The impacts of mass deportation on the cost of food in this state, in this nation, are off the charts.”

However, Newsom also iterated that California would still cooperate with federal agencies to the fullest, adding that “We care about border security, but we also care about economic security, and we care about two way trade, and we care about our partners on the other side of this border that have well-established partnerships. It’s not black and white. There’s nuance here. California’s posture remains that we do not interfere with the federal government’s right to enforce federal law using federal resources, period full stop.”

In response to Newsom’s border statement, Trump transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt responded saying, “President Trump has promised tariff policies that protect the American manufacturers and working men and women from the unfair practices of foreign companies and foreign markets. Californians showed up for President Trump in historic numbers because they cannot afford another four years of Gavin Newsom’s dangerously liberal agenda— high taxes, unaffordable housing costs, and an invasion of illegal immigrants from our wide-open border. Newsom will try to Trump-proof California from an America First agenda, but President Trump will deliver on his promise to Make America Great Again for ALL Americans in states both red and blue.”

Others noted that these sort of tangents will likely become more frequent during the last two years of Newsom’s term as Governor.

“Yeah, this is just the beginning,” explained Pablo Encarnacion, a U.S.-Mexico border issue tracker, to the Globe. “They’ll fight on other issues once Trump is inaugurated, more and more. And for issues on the border, it will be much more frequent. We’re on tariffs and a new port of entry today. Just wait until we get to when they start deportations and more arrests of undocumented migrants.”

More information about the status of the new port of entry is expected soon.