Gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer pledged to defend California’s public universities against the Trump administration – including by suing the federal government – at a UCLA event Monday.

Steyer, a billionaire climate activist and hedge fund founder, said in an interview with the Daily Bruin that protecting the UC system – which has faced federal funding cuts since the start of the second Trump administration – is a top priority for him if he is elected governor. He added that he would use state funds to fill in federal funding gaps.

“We have the greatest higher education system in the world – it is the secret sauce of California,” he said. “I am aware that Donald Trump is trying to hurt us all over the place. This is one of the places, and we’re going to have to stand up to him.”

The Trump administration suspended $584 million in UCLA’s research grants from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and Department of Energy in July – the vast majority of which have been restored through a series of decisions by a federal judge. The Trump administration alleged that UCLA allowed antisemitism, affirmative action and “men to participate in women’s sports” when suspending the grants.

“He (Trump) is the president of all Americans, and he’s acting as if he only cares about his cronies, who he’s going to give big contracts to, and the people in the states who voted for him,” Steyer said in an interview. “That is absolutely dishonest and un-American.”

Steyer, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, and political commentator Steve Hilton are leading the crowded gubernatorial primary field. Becerra is leading with 23% support among voters, followed by Hilton at 20% and Steyer at 15%, with a large share of voters still undecided, according to a May 28 Public Policy Institute of California poll.

Becerra’s campaign focuses on affordability, healthcare, housing and consumer protections. Hilton has centered his campaign on lowering the cost of living, reducing taxes and regulations and changing state governance.

The June 2 primary will determine the top two candidates who advance to the November general election.

Bruin Democrats, who endorsed Steyer’s candidacy, hosted the event as Steyer made his final appeal to voters before the primary.

Steyer said in a speech at the event, held at Kerckhoff Hall, that he does not align himself with Hilton’s support from President Donald Trump or with what he described as Becerra’s status as a “corporate Dem.” Becerra has received $13 million from political action committees, according to CalMatters.

Becerra and Hilton did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

“The question is very much: who is the state going to be run for?” Steyer said at the event. “Is it going to be run for corporations who are very successful and coining money and ripping us off? Or is it going to be run for the people of the state of California?”

Steyer said in a speech that despite California being one of the wealthiest places in the world, the state still faces high poverty, ranks 38th in K-12 education and does not offer universal healthcare. He added that he supports single-payer healthcare and taxing billionaires, despite being one himself.

California’s public higher education system – including the UC, California State University and community college systems – is central to the state’s economic success, Steyer said. He added that all children should have the opportunity to pursue higher education.

State leaders must reduce the impacts of artificial intelligence by working to prevent the technology from displacing workers and helping prepare college students for the workforce, Steyer said in a speech.

“It’s not like the tsunami is coming – the tsunami is here,” Steyer said. “It’s got to be a tool for working people, not a replacement of them.”

Steyer said at the event that although he is a billionaire, he left the hedge fund industry 14 years ago and plans to give his money to progressive causes.

“I’m the only billionaire on the ballot, but not the only billionaire in the race,” Steyer said. “There are a lot of billionaires who think that they know how to make this race turn out the way they want.”

Julia Van Roekel, a second-year political science and psychology student, said it was meaningful that Steyer came to a college campus to speak with young voters, adding that she hopes it encourages students to vote.

Van Roekel said she supports Steyer because she views him as the most progressive candidate in the race, particularly on climate action and labor issues.

Steyer founded NextGen America, an organization dedicated to getting young voters politically involved, in 2013.

“I’m about to be in the workforce in a couple years, so I think it’s important that someone’s prioritizing working people in our system,” Van Roekel said.

Cole Hoyle, the political director for Bruin Democrats, said Steyer’s campus visit showed that he is willing to engage with UCLA students.

“He’s obviously one of the leading candidates for governor, so him coming to UCLA, taking time out of his day when he could be doing seven million other things to talk to just college students, it’s a really great opportunity,” Hoyle said.

Hoyle, a third-year political science and history student, added that he supports Steyer because of his housing policies, including his pledge to reform parts of Proposition 13 – a 1978 measure that limits property tax increases.

Steyer’s housing platform calls for California to build 1 million homes over four years by making housing construction cheaper and faster, according to his campaign’s website.

“Of the major candidates, he’s the best on housing, which I think is the biggest crisis in California,” Hoyle said. “We need simply to build more housing.”

Contributing reports by Alexis Muchnik, Daily Bruin staff.