In a rare show of bipartisanship, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) offered praise to the Trump administration on Friday over the Trump Accounts investment program and foster youth initiatives.
Newsom said during a press conference about his CalKIDS program, which is a similar state level effort, that he is “enthusiastic about encouraging people to get a Trump Account,” The Hill reported.
“I think it’s incredibly important. It’s one of the best things [Trump’s] done,” Newsom said.
Newsom also applauded Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) for their work on the program. Trump Accounts launched on July 4 after being passed in the “Big, Beautiful Bill.” Trump Accounts are tax-advantaged investment accounts available to U.S. citizens under the age of 18. All U.S. citizens under 18 are eligible to begin saving through the accounts, while children born during Trump’s second term, from 2025 through 2028, are eligible for a $1,000 seed investment from the U.S. Treasury.
“We’re here to encourage people to take advantage of this, to not fall prey to the politics or the cynicism or maybe even the fear that if I download a Trump Account, somehow that means something,” Newsom said. “It doesn’t. It just means something for your kid.”
“It’s not Trump’s money; it’s your child’s money,” he continued.
Newsom additionally praised First Lady Melania Trump’s “Fostering the Future” initiative when a reporter asked him his opinion about the program. The initiative bridges a gap in the Trump Accounts program by empowering foster children to have access to their own investment accounts.
“Melania Trump deserves a lot of credit because this was one of the gaps with the Trump Accounts is… there [were] eligibility issues around custodial eligibility — meaning guardians, parents — so foster kids in many respects may fall through the cracks,” Newsom said.
Newsom said he enrolled California in the federal program after former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) called him and asked him why his state was not participating.
“I said, ‘I didn’t know about this, governor,’” Newsom said. “And so absolutely, not only are we going to sign up and make sure that our foster kids are eligible, but I just put in a request as part of the three-party negotiation with the legislature in the next two weeks, appropriations dollars to back up that commitment.”
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
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