California Governor Gavin Newsom is continuing his colorful public campaign attacking President Donald Trump’s reputation and behavior, this time launching a page on the state’s website purportedly “tracking Trump’s top 10 criminal cronies” — a list on which the crypto world features prominently.
The state’s own website includes the new page, with comments from Newsom:”Trump is a felon who surrounds himself with scammers and drug traffickers,” he’s quoted as saying. “We’re providing the public with a resource putting the facts in one place so Californians, and all Americans, can see who he elevates and who he protects.”
The site — otherwise seeking to make a point that California’s crime levels have declined — includes sections on former Binance CEO Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, who Trump pardoned in October; Ross Ulbricht, the Silk Road founder who Trump pardoned in his first month in office; and the co-founders of BitMEX, who Trump pardoned in May. It includes stylized mug shots of those highlighted, including Trump, with a stamp “FELON” emblazoned on each.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the site.
Newsom has been growing in national prominence as he continues an often tongue-in-cheek mocking of the president on social media, and the governor is widely considered a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028.
Source: https://www.coindesk.com/policy/2025/12/17/california-s-newsom-pokes-trump-flagging-convicted-crypto-allies-cz-ross-ulbricht
