Newsom railed against Medicaid work requirements — until he didn't

Medicaid work requirements forced the California governor into an awkward spot.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveils his proposed $286.4 billion 2022-2023 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, Jan. 10, 2022. Newsom wants to make California the first state to cover everyone under its Medicaid plan regardless of their immigration status. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli) | AP

SACRAMENTO, California — On health care – as with most issues – Gavin Newsom has positioned himself as Donald Trump’s chief antagonist, expanding access to insurance and deriding the red tape the president and Republicans in Congress have wrapped around treatment.

But new eligibility rules Trump imposed on Medicaid patients put the California governor in a bind.

California provides health care for 1.7 million undocumented immigrants not impacted by an upcoming federal requirement that Americans prove they’re employed or meet other criteria to remain enrolled in the government’s free health care program.

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