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Did bercerra sue trump over 100 times
Executive summary
Available reporting shows Xavier Becerra’s office filed dozens to more than 100 suits against the Trump administration over time; major outlets reported milestones of 46, ~50, 100, 120 and even 122 suits at different points in the post-2017 period [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. Counts vary by date and by what’s being counted (individual lawsuits filed by the AG’s office, coalition suits, briefs and other legal actions), so simple yes/no answers miss important context [6] [2].
1. What the headline claim means and where it comes from
When people ask “Did Becerra sue Trump over 100 times?” they are usually referring to how many legal actions the California Attorney General’s office initiated against the Trump administration while Becerra served. Major outlets reported that California hit a 100th lawsuit in late August/September 2020, citing Becerra’s announcement and state filings [3] [7]. Later reporting and local summaries counted still more suits, with some outlets saying 120 or 122 by the time Becerra left state office [4] [5].
2. Why counts differ: lawsuits vs. briefs vs. other legal actions
Different sources count different types of filings. For example, AP noted “nearly 100 briefs and other legal actions, including 45 lawsuits” at one point, distinguishing between formal lawsuits and other legal steps such as amicus briefs or coalition actions [6]. CalMatters and The Hill tracked explicit lawsuit counts earlier in the Trump term — e.g., 46 suits in early 2019 and about 47–51 in mid-2020 — showing an upward trend as the administration’s first term progressed [1] [2].
3. Timeline matters: milestones reported at different dates
Contemporaneous reporting shows milestones: 46 lawsuits around February 2019 [1], roughly 50 by May 2019 and about 51 by mid-2020 [2], then the widely reported “100th” lawsuit in late August 2020 [3] [7]. Subsequent local and state-focused coverage tallied still higher totals (around 120–122) by the end of Becerra’s tenure as California AG and into his post-AG campaign coverage in 2025 [4] [5] [8].
4. How California’s approach compares to other states
Analysts and outlets framed California’s volume of litigation as exceptional: CNN and others noted that California’s number of suits outpaced Texas’ 48 suits against the Obama administration and that Becerra’s office was filing at a faster clip than many prior state AGs [3] [2]. The Hill similarly noted the 46-suit tally represented a record pace at that time [1]. These comparisons underline that Becerra’s litigation strategy was unusually active relative to recent precedents [1] [3].
5. Political and strategic context: motivations and criticisms
Reporting and commentary framed the litigation as both policy defense and political signaling. Becerra and supporters said suits defended state laws and values on environment, immigration and healthcare; critics accused him of politicizing the AG’s office and wasting state resources [3] [6]. News outlets flagged that such litigation can be both legally consequential and beneficial for a state AG’s public profile [3] [6].
6. Cost, outcomes and lasting impact
Local coverage later summarized the cumulative litigation: some stories reported litigation costs and victories tied to the suits (e.g., alleged $42 million cost and victories on energy-efficiency standards), while noting many suits were joined by coalitions of states [8]. AP and state press releases document specific successful injunctions and multi-state challenges led or joined by Becerra’s office [9] [6].
7. Bottom line and how to interpret the “100 times” shorthand
Saying “Becerra sued Trump over 100 times” is supportable in the sense that California announced a 100th lawsuit in 2020 and later tallies put the total above 120 by the end of his AG tenure [3] [4] [5]. However, counts depend on definitions (lawsuits only vs. broader legal actions), and numbers reported changed over time as Becerra’s office continued filing litigation [6] [2]. For accuracy, use a time-bound phrasing: e.g., “California’s AG office reached its 100th lawsuit against the Trump administration in August 2020 and later tallied roughly 120+ by the end of the administration” [3] [4] [5].
Limitations: available sources do not provide a single, official line-item database in this collection that reconciles every filing type and date; different outlets present different cutoffs and counting rules [2] [6].