Trump's Water Policies: During his presidency, Donald Trump made several moves aimed at altering water distribution in California, particularly with regards to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A key moment was in February 2020 when Trump signed a memorandum to redirect millions of gallons of water to farmers in Central Valley and Southern California, arguing it would address water shortages in the state.
Newsom's Response: Governor Gavin Newsom's administration challenged these changes through legal action, contending that Trump's water policies could harm endangered fish species and were not based on sound science. Newsom's administration sought to protect the Delta's ecosystem, leading to lawsuits against the Trump administration's decisions to increase water deliveries to farmers at the expense of environmental protections.