Newsom confirmed in June 2026 that he and his wife are under DOJ investigation. He has alleged that Trump directed it as political retaliation, and this allegation has been reported in coverage of the investigations. However, there's no independent evidence confirming Trump is actually directing the DOJ for political reasons — that's Newsom's claim, not an established fact. Collins's post suggests Newsom appeared on Steve Bannon's podcast, but this didn't happen. Search results show Newsom actually hosted Hunter Biden on his own podcast — the opposite scenario. The framing in some commentary suggests Newsom is making political concessions or "appeasing" his opponents reflects real concerns Newsom has expressed, particularly his worry that no amount of appeasement will protect him from Trump administration targeting. But this is Newsom's own stated concern rather than something backed by specific evidence.