ROOKE: Gavin Newsom And His California Lackeys Seem To Find Sneaky Way To Hurt Trump’s Economic Comeback

California Democrats appear to have found a way to hinder President Donald Trump’s economic recovery plan: increasing the cost of egg prices nationwide.

California Proposition 12, also known as the Farm Animal Confinement Initiative, is a ballot measure aiming to ban the sale of most eggs and pork in the state. The state statute was approved by California voters in 2018 under the guise of animal welfare by building on California’s Proposition 2, which banned certain confinement methods but focused on animal movement rather than specific space measurements.

Prop 12 goes further by establishing minimum space requirements for confining certain farm animals, such as calves raised for veal, breeding pigs, and egg-laying hens. It also prohibits the sale of meat and eggs from animals not raised in compliance with these standards, regardless of the state in which the animals were raised.

Just 3% of Americans voted for California’s Prop 12, but it’s upending the entire pork industry.

One state shouldn’t dictate how food is grown across all 50.

— House Committee on Agriculture (@HouseAgGOP) July 15, 2025

While the law claims that its purpose is to improve animal welfare by reducing extreme confinement practices on farms, the underlying effect is higher prices on eggs and meat, not just in California but nationwide. The state’s policy forces farmers across the country to spend millions rebuilding their facilities to comply with the new regulations, quietly raising prices on essential grocery items for all Americans. (Sign up for Mary Rooke’s weekly newsletter here!)

The economy was a massive driving force for voters in the 2024 presidential election. The policy would hinder Trump’s plan to make everyday prices more manageable for Americans. The Trump administration filed a lawsuit in July against California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the state of California, as well as well the state’s Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, Director of Department of Public Health Erica Pan, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Newsom’s press office posted about the lawsuit, claiming that Trump’s legal action follows his “favorite hobby,” “blaming California for literally everything.”

Trump’s back to his favorite hobby: blaming California for literally everything.

Next up: @CAGovernor Gavin Newsom caused the fall of Rome and sent the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs! https://t.co/ZvAaUaEcZm

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) July 10, 2025

In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Prop 12 in a 5-4 vote.

“While the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants may sell is not on that list,” Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the Supreme Court majority. “In a functioning democracy, policy choices like these usually belong to the people and their elected representatives.”

When Prop 12 passed in November 2018, 63 percent of voters were in favor of the ballot initiative. However, as prices at the grocery store have increased nationwide, sentiments have shifted, according to a new poll conducted by the Center for the Environment and Welfare (CEW).

When a pollster surveyed registered California voters about whether they would support the state legislature modifying Prop 12 to reduce egg or pork prices, 60 percent said they would. Additionally, a majority, 44-35, said they would not vote for Prop 12 if it were on the ballot today.

Radical so-called animal rights activists are using state laws like Prop 12 to force their agenda on the rest of the country, hurting farmers, vets, and families in the process. Congress must step in. pic.twitter.com/vn5TWJuPiK

— House Committee on Agriculture (@HouseAgGOP) July 15, 2025

In true Democratic Party fashion, they preyed on the emotions of people by arguing that the proposition would prevent animal cruelty and protect public health, without explaining in depth that these new regulations would affect their financial situation. While they admitted that if passed the proposition would pass off rising costs to consumers, it later claimed that the price increases described would have occurred anyway in future years, as many companies have announced that they are moving towards complying anyway. (ROOKE: House GOP Plans To Screw Over Voters With Proposed New Bill)

Even if that were true, no specific figure was given in the literature to explain how expensive it would be for consumers outside the state of California. Since out-of-state farmers are required to comply with California law, the ballot initiative would force all Americans to suffer the consequences of the state’s regulations.

Republicans in Congress are also looking into the issue. The House Committee on Agriculture is set to hold a hearing on Wednesday, titled, “An Examination of the Implications of Proposition 12.”

California’s Proposition 12 is causing significant disruptions to the pork industry. Congress must step in and find a solution to the chaos.pic.twitter.com/vKeWIr6Gbb

— House Committee on Agriculture (@HouseAgGOP) July 21, 2025

“In the ruling, the Court assumed producers could choose whether to participate in the California Prop 12 market. Unfortunately, choosing whether to participate in a market that accounts for almost 15% of the national pork market is not a choice most producers have the luxury to make,” the committee said in 2024.

“Economists have shown that after the Supreme Court upheld Prop 12, the average price per pound of a pork loin in California rose more than 40%. They also estimate that the cost to consumers per year could be as much as $300 million. The cost increases are not only on the consumer side – producers are facing upwards of $4,000 per sow to construct facilities that are Prop 12 compliant,” the committee added.

Bringing down grocery prices, such as those for meat and eggs, is a crucial part of Trump’s economic recovery. If California’s proposition is allowed to stand, it will have a significant impact on Trump’s success, as all Americans will be forced to bear the rising costs.

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