Attacked by Trump, Musk and Democratic rivals, Tom Steyer relishes the fight
President Donald Trump called him a “SLEAZEBAG” and “LOSER.” Democratic rivals pan his plans as pie-in-the-sky. Elon Musk expressed shock at his plan to rein in federal immigration agents. And Pacific Gas & Electric just spent $8 million on an effort to thwart his campaign for governor.
Billionaire gubernatorial hopeful Tom Steyer loves the attention.
“If Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and PG&E are all against me, I must be doing something right,” Steyer said in an X post on Thursday.
Steyer is riding high in his spendy bid for the governor’s mansion. Two recent polls show that after plowing more than $120 million into his campaign, Steyer is at or near the top of seven-candidate Democratic field after former Rep. Eric Swalwell, facing sexual assault allegations, dropped out of the race Sunday.
On Tuesday, Steyer scooped up a major labor win with an endorsement from the California Teachers Association, which withdrew its backing of Swalwell last weekend.
The apparent momentum made the philanthropist and longtime donor a top target for Democratic rivals, Trump and business interests concerned about Steyer’s platform.
It’s comfortable terrain for the businessman, who has centered his campaign on counteracting Trump and corporate special interests.
At a campaign event in Santa Barbara Tuesday night, Steyer read aloud Trump’s Tuesday Truth Social post, or as he referred to it, a “really nice love letter,” where Trump attacked Steyer and knocked Fox News for a segment featuring the former financier rather than the Republican candidate he endorsed, Steve Hilton.
When Steyer posted Tuesday that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency was acting like a “criminal organization” and rolled out a plan on X to prosecute ICE agents and their leaders if they commit acts of violence, Musk responded with a single word: “Wow.” Steyer quickly amplified Musk’s response and repeated his critique of ICE.
And at a Tuesday Hispanic Chambers of Commerce candidate forum, Democratic competitors like San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa took swipes at Steyer’s plans for single-payer health insurance, describing it as unrealistic given the state’s fiscal challenges.
A number of Democrats, including Mahan, former Rep. Katie Porter, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond have attacked Steyer for his prior investments in private prisons as well as oil and gas production; Steyer has repeatedly said those moves were a mistake and part of the reason he stepped aside from the hedge fund in 2012.
The lines of attack are likely to come up again.
An anti-Steyer campaign committee formed late last month disclosed an $8 million contribution from a group connected to PG&E on Tuesday; it previously collected $5 million from the California Association of Realtors and $1 million from the California Building Industry Association. The committee is getting political support from Bearstar, the Democratic strategy firm whose clients have included Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris in her campaigns for state attorney general and U.S. Senate.
Steyer, who has attacked utilities for rate increases, said in an interview Tuesday the attacks were proof that his governorship would bring sweeping change.
“If you want to stand up for what’s right, and you want to change the status quo, the status quo may not like it,” Steyer said.
