Ferguson vows to work with federal government when possible despite ‘chaotic start’ to Trump administration

OLYMPIA – Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson vowed Thursday that he would continue to work with the second Trump administration when priorities align. He said, however, that the president is “showing very little inclination in working with states who do not agree with his worldview.”

“It has been, to put it mildly, a chaotic first few weeks of his administration,” Ferguson said.

Surrounded by a collection of statewide officials and legislators, Ferguson outlined the state’s approach to the Trump administration during a news conference in the governor’s office at the Washington State Capitol Building.

“My message to President Trump is fairly simple: I’ll work with you on areas of common interest, but you’re making it tough, OK? But I’m still committed to that, I really am,” Ferguson said. “But if you overstep your authority, we will stand up to you. President Trump’s chaos will not stop us from working on behalf of the people.”

Thursday’s event came shortly before the Washington State Attorney General’s Office announced it had joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the influence of Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency, which has sought to shrink the size and scope of the federal government’s powers under Trump’s administration.

Trump and Musk argue that they have the authority to do the work they are doing and that cutting government waste is what Americans wanted when they picked Trump in the November election.

“The people voted for major government reform and that’s what the people are going to get. They’re going to get what they voted for,” Musk said in the Oval Office next to Trump in response to a reporter’s question earlier this week. “A lot of time people don’t get what they voted for, but in this presidency they are going to get what they voted for and that’s what democracy is all about.”

The lawsuit is the fifth Attorney General Nick Brown has filed or joined against the second Trump administration, though Ferguson emphasized in his remarks Thursday he remains heavily focused on the issues Washingtonians face.

“We are dealing with the chaos that is coming down from Washington, D.C., but at the same time, we are going to preserve our values as a state, and importantly, we are going to move forward on the issues that unite us as a state,” Ferguson said.

Still, Washington lawmakers face a series of challenges from the federal government as the new administration threatens to withhold money from uncooperative jurisdictions.

According to Ferguson, approximately $162 million in federal funds allocated to Washington are frozen as of Thursday, with a majority of the funds allocated to the Department of Commerce, though Ferguson added that “things are literally changing daily, if not hourly.”

“I want to be very clear that we are continuing to fight for those funds,” Ferguson said.

Funds for a $156 million federal program to expand solar power in the state were frozen Monday, Ferguson said, temporarily unfrozen earlier this week, and refrozen Thursday.

Ferguson cited a directive from Attorney General Pam Bondi, which vowed to withhold federal law enforcement funds from sanctuary jurisdictions. In recent days, the Department of Justice has filed lawsuits against Illinois, New York and Chicago.

Washington, Ferguson said, receives $58 million annually from the Justice Department, money statewide officials do not believe is at risk as a result of the directive.

“Regardless of how many victories we win in court, thanks to the hard work of the Attorney General’s Office, we know that the president’s efforts to wield federal appropriations as a hammer in order to force Washington to change our values is unlikely to stop anytime soon,” Ferguson said.

“Fortunately, the 10th amendment protects the rights of states like Washington state to set public policies as long as those policies do not conflict with laws passed by Congress or the constitution.”

During his first few weeks in office, Ferguson has taken several actions intended to safeguard Washingtonians from the federal administration, which included convening a “family separation rapid response team” to recommend, protect and aid families of undocumented residents ahead of potential mass deportations.

Tana Senn, secretary of the Department of Children Youth and Families, the agency that oversees the task force, said it is a “clear message to families across the state, especially of mixed immigration status, that this Washington stands with you.”

“We will be there to support your children if they find themselves separated due to deportation or detainment,” Senn said.

Ferguson, who frequently challenged federal policies during Trump’s first administration while serving as Washington’s attorney general, also sought to quell the concerns of an array of minority groups including undocumented residents.

“We will ensure that our government represents all Washingtonians, including those who have been historically marginalized and underrepresented,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson found a level of commonality with the Trump administration on immigration, saying Washington law does not prohibit the Department of Corrections from sharing information on those convicted of “serious felonies” in their custody with federal immigration authorities. According to Ferguson, he’s declined requests to either change the law or order the Department of Corrections to cease cooperation with federal officials.

“My direction is that the Department of Corrections continue to lawfully work with federal immigration authorities regarding those individuals,” Ferguson said. “It’s one thing if the president wants to invest additional resources in deportations against undocumented Washingtonians who commit serious crimes. However, the overwhelming majority of undocumented residents of our state, and every other state for that matter, are decent, hardworking, law-abiding residents who contribute significantly to our economy and our communities.”

Brown, who joined three other states to challenge Trump’s attempt to end birthright citizenship, called the Trump administration’s actions in its first few weeks in power “an all-out attack on the rule of law.”

“My only message to the president of the United States is to follow the law,” Brown said. “You are in control of the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, you have cabinet directors appointed, and the majority of the Supreme Court has been appointed by Republican presidents. Follow the damn law, it’s not that hard.”

Shortly after Thursday’s event concluded, Brown announced that he joined 13 other attorneys general to challenge Trump’s “unlawful delegation of executive power” to Musk. The lawsuit, which was filed in Washington, D.C., is led by the New Mexico Department of Justice.

In the lawsuit, the states argue that Trump violated the constitution’s appointments clause by establishing the Department of Government Efficiency without Congressional approval and selecting Musk to run the department without the consent of the U.S. Senate.

In a statement announcing the suit, Brown said Musk had “amassed – or simply taken for himself – unaccountable power to walk into any federal agency, fire people, eliminate programs authorized by Congress, and access confidential personal and national security information without regard for the consequences.”