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Trump Justice Department Sues California Over Egg Prices

The Trump administration is taking California to court over what it calls a reckless state mandate that has driven up the price of eggs, pork, and poultry across the country.

On Wednesday, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, targeting the state’s controversial Proposition 12 — a 2018 law that bans the sale of meat and eggs from animals raised in conditions that fall below California’s new standards, even if the animals were raised in other states.

“California has effectively prevented farmers across the country from using long-standing, cost-efficient agricultural methods — and that’s sent prices through the roof,” the DOJ lawsuit states.

The legal action follows President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at tackling the rising cost of living, issued on his first day back in office. It comes as egg prices, once peaking at over $8 a dozen amid bird flu panic, have dropped to around $2.54. The Trump administration says that trend is now at risk if California’s aggressive regulations are allowed to stand.

Attorney General Pam Bondi called the suit part of a broader push to end “liberal policies that punish working families.”

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“Under President Trump’s leadership, we’re putting a stop to radical environmentalists and vegan extremists who are using the law to jack up grocery bills,” Bondi said. “We will not allow California’s overreach to derail the food security and prosperity of the American people.”

Critics say Prop 12 violates the Egg Products Inspection Act of 1970, a federal law meant to standardize egg quality and safety nationwide. The Trump DOJ argues California’s law unconstitutionally imposes its own agricultural rules on out-of-state producers — with national consequences.

A new report from the Center for the Environment and Welfare suggests that Prop 12 has increased pork prices by 20% and pushed egg prices back up in some cases to nearly $10 per dozen. The group is now backing a campaign called “Food Price Fix,” which aims to expose the extremist roots of the law.

“These are not mainstream animal welfare groups,” said the group’s Executive Director Jack Hubbard. “These are anti-meat activists who want to shut down American agriculture and make everyone vegan — and they’ve hijacked California law to do it.”

The groups behind Prop 12, including the Center for Biological Diversity and Mercy for Animals, reportedly spent over $13 million lobbying for the measure, which went into full effect in 2022.

“People who have never even been to California are now paying the price for California’s bad policy,” Hubbard said. “That’s not how federalism is supposed to work.”

The Trump administration’s legal challenge could reshape how far a single state can go in dictating national food policy — and whether Americans can afford to keep bacon and eggs on the breakfast table.