California Governor Newsom to Release Fourth of July Address Countering Trump on Voting Integrity

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is scheduled to release a prerecorded Fourth of July address at noon on July 4, 2026, that directly counters President Donald Trump’s claims that the U.S. voting system is flawed and easy to rig, Washington Examiner reported.

The speech was taped this week at the governor’s mansion in Sacramento and will be published across social media. The address centers on Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting and criticism of California’s vote-counting process. As part of last week’s budget agreement, California lawmakers approved $29 million to modernize and accelerate ballot counting, $5 million for county-level voter outreach and education, $5 million for statewide voter outreach and education, and $750,000 to combat misinformation and guard against federal interference.

Newsom plans to preview legislation making unauthorized ballot seizures a felony. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco authorized the seizure of about 650,000 ballots during an investigation into the 2024 election, an action the California Supreme Court later stopped. Days before the June primary, Newsom signed legislation restricting similar ballot seizures.

The formal deadline for submitting new bills has already passed. Newsom is term-limited as governor.