Newsom praises Trump Accounts, first lady foster-youth efforts

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) offered rare praise for the Trump administration on Friday, endorsing its investment account program for children and foster youth initiatives .

During a press conference on his CalKIDS program — a similar state-level initiative — Newsom said he was “enthusiastic about encouraging people to get a Trump Account.”

“I think it’s incredibly important. It’s one of the best things [Trump’s] done,” he added.

Newsom also commended Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R) and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker’s (D) work on this initiative. These accounts, which became available last month, include a $1,000 investment from the federal government for children born in Trump’s second term.

“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 added.

Newsom has made affordable childcare a key part of his administration, launching a free diaper program initiative earlier this year. The Democrat is publicly weighing a run for president in 2028 — a race in which affordability is expected to be a key issue.

The governor also offered a glowing review of first lady Melania Trump’s “ Fostering the Future ” initiative when asked by a reporter on Friday about his thoughts on this program, which sought to bridge gaps for children living in foster care to participate in the Trump Account program.

“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.

The Democrat said he enrolled California in this federal program after former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) called to ask why the blue state was not participating in this initiative.

“I said, ‘I didn’t know about this, governor,’” Newsom recalled telling Ducey. “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.”