California Gov. Gavin Newsom threatened to sue the Trump administration Friday over what he called “extortion,” after the federal government proposed that UCLA pay $1 billion to settle allegations of antisemitism at UCLA and restore more than half a billion dollars in frozen federal grant funding.

“Donald Trump today is trying to silence academic freedom; he’s attacking one of the most important public institutions in the United States of America,” Newsom told reporters.

At a meeting between California Democratic leaders and Texas Democrats who fled the state to delay congressional redistricting efforts, Newsom addressed and pushed back against the proposal.

“He has threatened us through extortion with a billion-dollar fine unless we do his bidding. So as long as I am governor, I wi

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