Former vice president and failed presidential hopeful Kamala Harris may have just proved she doesn’t believe her own rhetoric.
According to multiple reports, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, recently purchased an $8.15 million home in Point Dume, an exclusive oceanside neighborhood in Malibu. The purchase is raising eyebrows after Harris spent years as a senator and vice president warning the public about climate change and coastline erosion.
The 4,000-square-foot property includes four bedrooms and six bathrooms situated on about three-quarters of an acre, per <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/13/real-estate/kamala-harris-buys-8m-mansion-in-malibus-celeb-packed-pt-dume/">the New York Post</a>. One real estate listing describes the home as “perched in a prime coastal location” with “breathtaking ocean views.” The house is located near Point Dume State Beach, a ritzy area that was identified as having a high risk for flooding and erosion.
A climate model previously endorsed by the Biden-Harris administration projected that Point Dume State Beach <a href="https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/#/layer/slr/1/-13224965.709481182/4029006.643276096/16.000/satellite/none/0.8/2050/interHigh/noAccretion/NOS_Minor">could suffer significant damage</a> from rising sea levels. That model was discontinued in June 2025 under the Trump administration, as noted by The Free Beacon. Also, a 2023 Interior Department study <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022JF006936">concluded</a> that up to 75 percent of California’s beaches could be eroded by the year 2100.
The Point Dume area also suffered significant damage during the 2018 Woolsey Fire and some damage during the 2025 Palisades Fire.
Harris has been sounding the alarm on climate change for years. “Glaciers are melting. Sea levels are rising. Climate change is real and we must act before it&#8217;s too late. That’s why I support a Green New Deal,” she tweeted in 2019. The same year, Harris sponsored the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1730">Living Shorelines Act</a>, which called for $50 million annually in federal funding to help address rising sea levels.
While serving as vice president, Harris was named the administration’s lead spokeswoman for the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative, a multibillion-dollar federal program. In April 2023, she announced $562 million in grants to benefit communities “on the front lines of the climate crisis.”
&#8220;The climate crisis represents a profound threat &#8212; as we all know &#8212; to our nation and to the world,” she said during a <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/04/21/vice-president-kamala-harris-climate-change-florida-sargassum/6561682032174/#">speech</a> at the University of Miami, claiming that &#8220;we still have time to make a difference.&#8221;
The home reportedly purchased by Harris and Emhoff includes features that the Biden-Harris administration found problematic, including a gas stove and fireplace, plus a tankless water heater. While serving as vice president, Harris advocated for <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO05/20230718/116246/HHRG-118-GO05-Transcript-20230718.pdf">energy efficiency regulations</a> that would have restricted certain gas stoves and tankless water heater models.
Point Dume is one of Malibu’s most exclusive neighborhoods, known for its privacy and gated access to Little Dume Beach. The area has attracted celebrities and tech moguls including Sean Penn, Gerard Butler, and Julia Roberts, as the New York Post noted.

Kamala Harris

Kamala ‘Climate Change Crisis’ Harris Just Bought Beachfront Property In Malibu

Kamala 'Climate Change Crisis' Harris Just Bought Beachfront Property In Malibu

California

Climate Change

General

Politics

Real estate

Attorney General Pam Bondi fired a warning shot Thursday after a federal three-judge panel <a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-redistricting-prop-50-allowed-to-use-a0c801e8c8c50700f71ab7f4c44f244f">ruled</a>, by a 2–1 margin, that California may use its newly minted congressional map — a voter-approved redraw designed to juice Democrats’ prospects in the 2026 midterms. Bondi made clear the fight is far from over, writing on X that California “impermissibly drew its new congressional map based on race,” calling the move unconstitutional and pledging that the Justice Department is reviewing “all legal options.”
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We disagree with yesterday’s 2-1 ruling on California’s redistricting map. California impermissibly drew its new congressional map based on race. That’s unconstitutional. We are reviewing all legal options.
&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2011786293659717863?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The ruling rejected challenges from state Republicans and the DOJ, both of which argued that the map violated the Constitution by using race — particularly to favor Hispanic voters — as a driving factor in redrawing district lines. The panel instead accepted California Democrats’ insistence that the map was drawn for nakedly partisan purposes, a distinction that has become legally decisive since the Supreme Court ruled in 2019 that partisan gerrymandering presents a “political question” beyond the reach of federal courts.
Proposition 50, pushed aggressively by California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and approved decisively by voters in November, could hand Democrats as many as five additional House seats. Newsom, widely viewed as eyeing a 2028 presidential run, framed the effort as retaliation for a Texas mid-decade redistricting plan backed by President Donald Trump. Republicans currently hold just nine of California’s 52 House seats, making the Golden State a tempting battlefield in the escalating national map war.
Democrats celebrated the ruling as a win for voters, with Newsom dismissing the lawsuit as a “weak attempt to silence” them. Republicans were less sanguine. California GOP chair Corrin Rankin vowed an appeal to the Supreme Court, arguing that the dissenting opinion — authored by Trump-appointed Judge Kenneth Lee — more accurately reflected the law and the facts. Lee warned that at least one district was drawn using race “to curry favor with Latino groups and voters,” undercutting the majority’s claim that the map was purely partisan.
The decision lands amid an increasingly brazen, state-by-state arms race over redistricting. Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio have moved to redraw maps mid-decade, while a judge forced Republican-run Utah to adopt a Democratic-leaning district. Notably, the Justice Department has sued only California.
The stakes are unmistakable. House Democrats need just a handful of seats to flip control of the chamber, potentially grinding Trump’s agenda to a halt and opening the floodgates to congressional investigations. With Republicans holding a razor-thin majority, California’s maps may prove decisive — or become the next front in a Supreme Court showdown over whether “partisan” gerrymandering is simply racial gerrymandering by another name.

Department of Justice 12/4/25

Bondi Vows To Fight After Court Greenlights California’s ‘Unconstitutional’ Redistricting Map

Bondi Vows DOJ Fight After Court Greenlights 'Unconstitutional' California Redistricting Map

Gavin Newsom

Pam Bondi

Redistricting

A Trump-hating American Indian tribe with a powerful lobbying arm has wielded its influence to push California Attorney General Rob Bonta to issue a controversial ban on fantasy sports betting, a watchdog group said.
In the months leading up to Bonta’s <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/attachments/press-docs/23-1001.pdf">decision</a> to ban fantasy sports betting in California, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians repeatedly lobbied his office. And in the days leading up to the ban, one prominent tribe member boasted that they were “coming for” fantasy sports betting companies and “we’re bringing our friends.”
The lobbying was flagged in a <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Analysis-Shows-Extent-of-Pechanga-Tribes-Political-Influence.pdf">memo</a> shared with The Daily Wire by the American Accountability Foundation, a conservative watchdog group founded by former Republican congressional staffer Tom Jones. 
“Since 2001, Pechanga has contributed almost $120 million to political causes, most notably on ballot measures and powerful political figures like Attorney General Rob Bonta,” the memo said. “In return for their money, Bonta has acquiesced to tribal demands, even going as far as declaring fantasy sports websites illegal in California.”
Lobbying reports <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2wrlfowtgr5nm19cwvblt/Pechanga-Lobbying-History.xlsx?rlkey=e1equ24rq9wm2s6swucj4i61e&amp;e=1&amp;st=1cujp73w&amp;dl=0">compiled</a> by the American Accountability Foundation show that Pechanga has spent over $1.8 million on political lobbying since Bonta took office in April 2021. In every single lobbying report filed by Pechanga, Bonta’s office was listed as one of the targets. The reports did not disclose the purpose of the lobbying or the specific amount directed toward Bonta’s office. 
Listed on the lobbying reports was Chief Mark Macarro, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-hating-native-american-tribe-gets-millions-in-taxpayer-dollars-as-leaders-hobnob-with-dems">who has given</a> thousands of dollars to Democratic candidates and has been pictured aboard Air Force One with former President Joe Biden.
After being asked by State Assemblyman Tom Lackey to issue a legal opinion on fantasy sports betting, Bonta vowed not to take money from the industry’s supporters; he did not do so for its opponents. The opinion was first requested by Senator Scott Wilk, and Lackey had no position on the final call, his office said. 
Bonta&#8217;s office previously maintained that the money did not impact his decision. 
“The donors were not parties to the opinion — they neither requested it nor were its subject,” spokesman Dan Newman <a href="https://archive.ph/Ees2F#selection-1947.11-1947.155">told</a> POLITICO. “They simply expressed a point of view, and of course an elected official cannot reject support from everyone who holds an opinion on their work.”
However, prominent members of the Pechanga tribe appeared to take credit for the opinion and celebrated it. Victor Rocha, a member of the Pechanga and an official with the Indian Gaming Association, <a href="https://capitolweekly.net/the-nuanced-politics-of-bontas-daily-fantasy-opinion/">told</a> the Capital Weekly that the tribes had requested an opinion on fantasy sports betting. “You have to fight ‘em or you’ll get rolled over,” he said. 
Two days before Bonta’s opinion was issued on July 3, Rocha <a href="https://archive.ph/FiVgh">posted</a> on X that daily fantasy sports companies were in trouble. 
“We&#8217;re coming for you, and we&#8217;re bringing our friends. Politically speaking, there are many ways to skin a rat,” he <a href="https://x.com/VictorRocha1/status/1940119360041033975">wrote</a>. 
On the day the opinion was issued, Rocha posted a meme depicting a person labeled “California tribes” posing in front of a grave of a fantasy sports betting company. The meme was captioned, “Just saw the California AG&#8217;s opinion.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Just saw the California AG&#8217;s opinion. <a href="https://t.co/Poa02j1zMq">pic.twitter.com/Poa02j1zMq</a>
— Victor Rocha (@VictorRocha1) <a href="https://twitter.com/VictorRocha1/status/1940855643717644680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Jones said that the ruling and donations were not a “coincidence.” 
&#8220;When a single tribe and its allies spend over $400,000 into an attorney general&#8217;s campaigns, spend nearly $2 million on lobbying which includes his office, and then walk away with favorable legal rulings, that is not a coincidence,” Jones told The Daily Wire. “It is a glaring conflict of interest that reeks of corruption. Pechanga&#8217;s political power in California is dangerous, and the money trail to Rob Bonta is clear.&#8221; 
Throughout his political career as both attorney general and state assemblyman, Bonta has received $400,000 from the Pechanga and other tribes. In fact, both Bonta and his wife have also been the recipients of tens of thousands in political donations over the years, according to <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/z965rb714zavqpq16a5d8/Pechanga-Contributions.xlsx?rlkey=2e1xgo78dcrj8hr7nuqwoygkf&amp;e=1&amp;st=skw9bsdj&amp;dl=0">donor records</a> compiled by the American Accountability Foundation. 
As noted by the watchdog group, Pechanga and its employees have given $49,800 to Bonta since his political career began in 2013 as a member of the California State Assembly. Mia Bonta, his wife, has also received $34,500 since 2021. She was elected to the assembly in 2021. 
Since 2001, Pechanga and its employees have contributed $117,089,903 to political causes. 
<div id="attachment_1026499" style="width: 1153px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1026499" class="size-full wp-image-1026499" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-07-at-1.36.25-PM.png" alt="" width="1143" height="909" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-07-at-1.36.25-PM.png 1143w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-07-at-1.36.25-PM-300x239.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-07-at-1.36.25-PM-724x576.png 724w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/Screenshot-2026-01-07-at-1.36.25-PM-768x611.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1143px) 100vw, 1143px" />American Accountability Foundation.</div>
At the same time, it has raked in tens of millions of taxpayer dollars, all while operating a lucrative casino. Since 2008, the tribe — which has around 1,823 members — has taken over $13.4 million in grants from the Department of Health and Human Services, around $6.9 million from the Environmental Protection Agency, $2.4 million from the Department of the Interior, $2.2 million from the Justice Department, and hundreds of thousands more from the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, and others.
At the same time, it has taken legal action against those critical of the tribe. In November, it issued a cease-and-desist letter to the makers of a documentary called “You’re No Indian.” 
The documentary highlights allegations from former tribal members who say they were kicked out of their tribe to boost the casino profits shared with other members. Back in 2012, it was <a href="https://indianz.com/IndianGaming/2012/024919.asp?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a> that the average casino profit per month for Pechanga members jumped to $30,000 per month after 250 people were kicked out. 
The tribe <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/filmmakers-defend-no-indian-demand-202307754.html">said</a> that the film contained “numerous inaccuracies” when explaining why the cease-and-desist letter was sent. The film&#8217;s director, Ryan Flynn, gave a different story. 
“We interviewed families, reviewed records, spoke with experts,” Flynn said. “We reached out to Chairman Macarro multiple times during production. Mark had every opportunity to participate, and he chose not to.”
The film screened last weekend at three sold out theaters in Temecula, California, where the Pechanga tribe is located.
The American Accountability Foundation said that the letter was an effort to “stifle” free speech. 
Jones previously told The Daily Wire that Pechanga should lose its taxpayer funding over its political activism. 
“Taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to bankroll the Pechanga tribe’s lavish lifestyles and radical views, especially when individual tribe members are raking in tens of thousands a month from casino profits. That’s not an ‘impoverished community,’ it’s a corrupt one,” Jones said. “Time to shut the spigot off and stop subsidizing them!”

MixCollage-12-Jan-2026-11-39-AM-271

Watchdog Warns Of ‘Dangerous’ Alliance Between Trump-Hating Tribe And Top California Official

Watchdog Warns Of 'Dangerous' Alliance Between Top California Official and Trump-Hating Tribe

Donald Trump

gambling

Pechanga

sports betting

Actor Kiefer Sutherland was taken into custody for allegedly assaulting a ride-share driver on Monday night, according to the LAPD. 
The 59-year-old was arrested at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue in Hollywood. The LAPD responded around 12:15 a.m. to a suspected assault, Los Angeles Police Officer Kevin Terzes told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/kiefer-sutherland-arrested-allegedly-assaulting-ride-share-driver-l-po-rcna253933">NBC News</a>.
“The investigation determined that the suspect, later identified as Kiefer Sutherland, entered a rideshare vehicle, physically assaulted the driver (the victim), and made criminal threats toward the victim,” Terzes said via email.
The driver did not require medical treatment, police said, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/13/entertainment/kiefer-sutherland-arrest-assault-allegation-hnk">CNN</a>.
Sutherland was arrested and released several hours later on a $50,000 bond, the outlet noted. His first court appearance is scheduled for February 2.
Reps for Sutherland did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Sutherland’s career took off in the 1980s and 90s as he starred in films like “Stand by Me” (1986), “The Lost Boys” (1987), “Young Guns” (1988), “A Few Good Men” (1992), and “The Three Musketeers” (1993). 
The actor found enduring success on the Fox drama series &#8220;24&#8221; (2001–2010, 2014), in which counterterrorism officials attempt to stop imminent threats to the United States. That role earned Sutherland an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe. His father is the late actor Donald Sutherland.
During Donald Trump&#8217;s first presidential campaign, Sutherland <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/269866-kiefer-sutherland-trump-recalls-segregationist-george-wallace/">compared</a> the Republican candidate to former Alabama Democratic Governor George Wallace, who was a vocal segregationist.
Sutherland has previously gotten into trouble with the law, including multiple DUI incidents and an assault charge. The actor was accused of head-butting a fashion designer in 2009, but the charges were later dropped.

Kiefer Sutherland

Kiefer Sutherland Arrested, Accused Of Assaulting Rideshare Driver

Kiefer Sutherland Arrested For Allegedly Assaulting Rideshare Driver

Assault

Celebrities

Crime

LAPD

Los Angeles

The National Republican Congressional Committee is targeting Democratic Rep. Adam Gray of California in a new ad campaign.
The NRCC released its first ad targeting Gray on Tuesday. The ad targets Gray’s record on immigration.
“Adam Gray voted to give criminal illegal aliens driver&#8217;s licenses. He voted against funding to deport dangerous criminals. Adam Gray is dangerously radical on immigration,” the ad states.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Democrat Adam Gray Is Dangerously Radical" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0OQmq2m8uVs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Gray currently represents California’s 13th congressional district, a seat <a href="https://rollcall.com/2025/05/08/most-vulnerable-house-members-2026-election/">identified</a> last year as one of the most vulnerable of the upcoming midterm elections. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s efforts to redistrict ahead of midterms may have <a href="https://www.insideelections.com/news/article/a-detailed-analysis-california-redistricting-new-map-texas-gerrymandering">given</a> Gray some room to breathe, however.
Immigration has been a top issue for Republicans since President Donald Trump returned to office in January. Immigration <a href="https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker">remains</a> one of Trump’s most popular issues, though Americans’ approval of Trump’s handling of immigration has slipped since he effectively ended massive amounts of illegal immigration that poured into the country under the Biden administration.
That ad hits Gray over a couple of votes on his record regarding immigration, one of them from over a decade ago. In 2013, while Gray was serving in the California assembly, he <a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/votes/AB60/2013">voted</a> in favor of a bill that would allow illegal aliens to receive a California driver’s license.
Last year, Gray voted against Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, which, in part, provided funding for finishing the border wall along the United States’ southern border. It also provided a surge of funding for hiring thousands of federal immigration agents.
The One Big Beautiful Bill <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/07/president-trumps-one-big-beautiful-bill-is-now-the-law/">included</a> a slate of other Trump priorities, as well. The bill made permanent the 2017 tax cuts from Trump’s first term in office, secured $12.5 billion for the national air traffic control system, and funded development of the Golden Dome missile defense system.
Gray is in his first term as a U.S. congressman, having flipped California’s 13th district from Republican control in 2024. Gray beat then-incumbent Republican Rep. John Duarte by less than 200 votes.
Gray’s strongest opponent this cycle is Kevin Lincoln, the Republican former mayor of Stockton, a city added to California 13 under the new congressional map pushed for by Newsom.
“From Assemblyman to Congressman, Adam Gray’s out of touch, radical immigration votes put criminal illegal immigrants first and the safety of California families dead last. Californians deserve a Congressman who will put their safety first,” NRCC spokesman Christian Martinez told The Daily Wire in a statement.

Adam Gray

‘Dangerously Radical On Immigration’: GOP Ad Campaign Targets Vulnerable California Dem

GOP Ad Campaign Targets Vulnerable CA Dem: ‘Dangerously Radical On Immigration’

2026 Midterms

Immigration

Republican Party

Nick Reiner, who stands accused of murdering his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, was dropped as a client by his lawyer, Alan Jackson.
The attorney did not give a reason for his decision but said he still believes in his former client’s innocence. Jackson is well known for taking on high-profile cases, including those involving actor Kevin Spacey and disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. He recently represented Karen Read, who was acquitted of the murder of her then-boyfriend, Boston police officer John O’Keefe.
“Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder,” Jackson told the judge during a scheduled arraignment on Wednesday, adding that he had “no choice” but to withdraw from the case. Jackson said he was making the decision with Reiner’s “understanding and consent,” as The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/07/us-news/nick-reiner-dropped-by-lawyer-alan-jackson/?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_social_handle_id=17469289&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_social_post_id=645057832&amp;utm_campaign=nypost">reported</a>.
The arraignment was rescheduled for February 23.
“Circumstances beyond our control, but more importantly, circumstances beyond Nick’s control, have dictated that sadly it’s made it impossible for us to continue our representation of Nick,” Jackson told reporters later on, adding that he could not “legally or ethically” disclose what had changed.
Jackson also said he’s spent “literally every waking hour” going over the case. “Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that!” Jackson repeated.
With Jackson stepping down, Reiner will be represented by public defender Kimberly Greene, the outlet noted.
Reiner was charged with two counts of first-degree murder after his parents were discovered dead in their home in December. The maximum sentence is life without the possibility of parole or the death penalty. 
The 32-year-old has a lengthy history of drug addiction and was allegedly behaving erratically at a party hosted by Conan O’Brien shortly before the killings. 
Nick Reiner’s two siblings — Romy, 28, and Jake, 34 — <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nick-reiner-diagnosed-with-schizophrenia-before-parents-were-killed-report">issued a statement</a> after their brother’s first court appearance: “Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day. The horrific and devastating loss of our parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, is something that no one should ever experience. They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
When Romy discovered the bodies of her parents, she informed police that her brother had been living in the home and was “dangerous.”

Nick Reiner

Nick Reiner Loses High-Profile Attorney Ahead Of Arraignment, Public Defender Appointed

Nick Reiner's Attorney Withdraws Before Arraignment, Now He Has A Public Defender

Entertainment

Lawyer

Murder

Rob Reiner

The Department of Health and Human Services will freeze $10 billion in funding for multiple welfare programs in five blue states over fraud concerns. 
HHS will pause funding for programs that provide childcare and food assistance in California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York as officials probe whether the benefits are being illegally funneled to non-citizens. The specific programs being halted in those states are the Child Care Development Fund, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, and the Social Services Block Grant program.
“Democrat-led states and governors have been complicit in allowing massive amounts of fraud to occur under their watch,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/us/politics/child-care-funding-cuts-trump.html">said</a> HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon. “Under the Trump administration, we are ensuring that federal taxpayer dollars are being used for legitimate purposes.”
The states were notified of the pause in letters sent out by HHS on Monday. New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said that the impending freeze was motivated by politics. 
“Trump is threatening to freeze child care funding in New York and targeting our children for political retribution. It’s immoral and indefensible,” she wrote on X. 
The Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) is a partnership program funded by the federal government and the states that provides financial assistance to low-income families to help them care for their children while they work or attend school. 
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federally funded, state-administered <a href="https://www.usa.gov/welfare-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">program</a> that provides cash assistance to low-income families for food, housing, home energy, and child care. 
The Social Services Block Grant is a program that provides funds to states, which they then allocate to various welfare programs. 
The freeze was first <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/trump-freezes-10b-in-funding-to-five-blue-states-for-child-care-social-services-over-fraud-fears/">reported</a> by the New York Post, which noted that the pause will impact $7.35 billion in TANF funds, $2.4 billion in CCDF funds, and $869 million in Social Services Block Grant funds. 
The Trump administration has recently increased scrutiny on states like Minnesota and California over alleged widespread fraud. Last week, HHS paused all childcare payments to the state of Minnesota while it investigates allegations that millions of taxpayer dollars have been funneled to fraudulent daycares across the state throughout the past ten years. 
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-fraud-investigation-has-begun-in-newsoms-california-more-corrupt-than-minnesota">said</a> investigations into California were beginning. 
“California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-fraud-investigation-has-begun-in-newsoms-california-more-corrupt-than-minnesota?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Says+Fraud+Investigation+%E2%80%98Has+Begun%E2%80%99+In+Newsom%E2%80%99s+California%3A+%E2%80%98More+Corrupt+Than+Minnesota%E2%80%99">Trump Says Fraud Investigation &#8216;Has Begun&#8217; In Newsom&#8217;s California: &#8220;More Corrupt Than Minnesota&#8217;</a>

UK Hosts President Trump And First Lady Melania Trump For State Visit – Day Three

Trump Admin Freezes Welfare Funds To Five Blue States Over Fraud Concerns

Colorado

Department of Health and Human Services

Fraud

Illinois

Minnesota

New York

Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) died on Monday, GOP leadership in the House confirmed a day later. He was 65 years old.
&#8220;House Republicans mourn the loss of Congressman Doug LaMalfa. A lifelong resident of Northern California and a fourth-generation rice farmer, Congressman LaMalfa spent more than two decades in public service. He proudly represented California’s 1st Congressional District from 2013 to 2026, serving as Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus. Please join us in praying for Congressman LaMalfa’s wife, kids, and staff.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
House Republicans mourn the loss of Congressman Doug LaMalfa.
A lifelong resident of Northern California and a fourth-generation rice farmer, Congressman LaMalfa spent more than two decades in public service. He proudly represented California’s 1st Congressional District from… <a href="https://t.co/nTFSiEXUlE">pic.twitter.com/nTFSiEXUlE</a>
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP/status/2008548224055828761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Longtime friend and colleague Tom Emmer (R-MN) posted a <a href="https://x.com/GOPMajorityWhip/status/2008545427080311026?s=20">statement</a> on X confirming the news, saying, &#8220;Jacquie and I are devastated about the sudden loss of our friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa. Doug was a loving father and husband, and staunch advocate for his constituents and rural America. Our prayers are with Doug’s wife, Jill, and their children.&#8221;
President Donald Trump shared his reaction to the loss of the California congressman as well, adding, &#8220;I want to express our tremendous sorrow at the loss of a great member — a great, great, great member — Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who passed away yesterday as you probably have heard. He was the leader of the Western Caucus, a fierce champion on California water issues, he was great on water — he wanted — release the water, he&#8217;d scream — and a true defender of American children, he was a defender of everybody.&#8221;
&#8220;Our hearts go out to his wife, Jill and his entire family,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;I was really saddened by his passing, and was thinking about not even doing this speech in his honor, but then I decided that I have to do it in his honor because he would have wanted it that way. He would have said, &#8216;Do that speech, are you kidding? Do the speech.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;I want to express our tremendous sorrow at the loss of a great member — a great, great, great member — Congressman Doug LaMalfa, who passed away yesterday&#8230; our hearts go out to his wife, Jill and his entire family.&#8221; 🇺🇸❤️<a href="https://t.co/tySLWmchjV">pic.twitter.com/tySLWmchjV</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2008560308470903106?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) also posted a lengthy statement to X, remembering his colleague and friend — and former roommate.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I am profoundly heartbroken to hear of the passing of my close friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa. Before serving together in Congress, we weren’t just colleagues in the California State Legislature, we were roommates.
Doug was first and foremost a devoted husband and father,… <a href="https://t.co/haAPzKRWZS">pic.twitter.com/haAPzKRWZS</a>
— Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/2008569839129096404?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I am profoundly heartbroken to hear of the passing of my close friend, Congressman Doug LaMalfa. Before serving together in Congress, we weren’t just colleagues in the California State Legislature, we were roommates,&#8221; McCarthy said, sharing photos of the two of them together.
&#8220;Doug was first and foremost a devoted husband and father, inspired by his Christian faith and values to make the lives of others better,&#8221; McCarthy continued. &#8220;Many will remember him as a principled legislator, but he was also a commonsense rice farmer through and through, spending his time in Congress fighting for family farms on agriculture, water, and resource issues, as well as working to eliminate government waste like California’s high-speed rail.&#8221;
&#8220;Always thoughtful and affable, Doug was the unanimous choice of his colleagues to lead the Western Caucus in Congress. He will be truly missed. I share my prayers and condolences with Jill, their children, their entire family, and the entire LaMalfa team during this most difficult time,&#8221; he concluded.
No cause of death has yet been reported for the California congressman.

House GOP Capitol Hill Club Jan 22

GOP Rep. Doug LaMalfa Dead At 65

House Republicans

Republicans

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday morning that his administration launched a fraud investigation into California in the wake of the federal government&#8217;s Minnesota fraud probe.
Trump accused California under Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of being worse than Minnesota when it comes to corruption. Minnesota, another Democrat-run state, that has come under the microscope in the past month over a welfare fraud scheme and allegations that Somali-run daycares have been inflating their enrollment numbers to receive more taxpayer funding.
&#8220;California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible???&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115848359372759872">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;The Fraud Investigation of California has begun. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
The president did not specify what the fraud investigation would look into or which federal agency would lead it. A White House official told The Daily Wire that there was &#8220;nothing to add to the President&#8217;s post.&#8221; In a statement shared with The Daily Wire, Newsom&#8217;s office called Trump &#8220;a deranged, habitual liar.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not complicated. He spends his days posting whatever garbage his shriveled little brain can cough up — and Fox News dutifully treats it like the Lord&#8217;s scripture,&#8221; Newsom&#8217;s office added. &#8220;Meanwhile — in the actual world where adults govern — Gavin Newsom has been cleaning house. Since taking office, he’s blocked over $125 BILLION in fraud, arrested criminal parasites leaching off of taxpayers, and protected taxpayers from the exact kind of scam artists Trump celebrates, excuses, and pardons. Gavin Newsom runs a state. Donald Trump runs his mouth and little fingers.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s comment on a fraud investigation into California comes a day after two Republicans in the state sounded the alarm on a potential scandal that they claim is wasting up to $250 billion a year. Steve Hilton, who is running for California governor, and Herb Morgan, who is running for state controller, said on Monday that the state&#8217;s welfare program under Newsom has become a bank for &#8220;corrupt cronies and political front groups,&#8221; The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/california-at-risk-of-250-billion-fraud-gop-candidates/">reported</a>.
&#8220;This is what you get from 16 years of one-party rule. Corruption, fraud and abuse on an epic scale. Gavin Newsom and the corrupt Democrat machine have stolen our money and handed it out to corrupt cronies and political front groups,&#8221; Hilton said.
Trump has clashed regularly with Newsom during his second term in the White House, going after the Democratic governor over his response to the Southern California wildfires and the violent demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement in Los Angeles County.
Immediately after being sworn in for a second term in January, Trump ripped Newsom&#8217;s handling of wildfire prevention and called him an &#8220;INCOMPETENT GOVERNOR&#8221; following the deadly fires that ripped through L.A. County last January.
Then, when anti-ICE demonstrations broke out in L.A. in June, Trump blasted Newsom for doing a &#8220;horrible job&#8221; to quell the riots and deployed the National Guard and the Marines. Trump also <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/09/donald-trump-on-arresting-gavin-newsom-id-do-it-00394530" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he would support his border czar, Tom Homan, in arresting the California governor over accusations that he was impeding federal immigration enforcement.
Newsom, who is viewed as one of the frontrunners to become the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028, continues to condemn Trump&#8217;s immigration operation and his deployment of the National Guard in California. During an interview on Monday, Newsom accused the president of committing fraud and <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/2008389201231048783">said</a> that Trump&#8217;s National Guard deployment last year pulled troops away from important work, such as protecting the Southern Border and wildfire prevention efforts.
&#8220;He impacted all of those public safety efforts,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;For what? For a show. [Troops] sat there playing video games in many cases, total boredom. &#8230; They [were] sitting there in the armory doing nothing, costing you taxpayers. You want to talk about waste, fraud, and abuse, Mr. President? One-hundred-plus million dollars wasted because of the fraud you perpetuated and the abuse of your authority.&#8221;
After a federal appeals court ruled against Trump&#8217;s National Guard deployment in California, Trump said late last month that troops would be withdrawn from multiple cities across the United States, including Los Angeles. The appeals court ruling came after the Supreme Court declined an emergency appeal from the Trump administration when a lower court blocked Trump&#8217;s attempt to deploy troops to Chicago. Trump argued that the National Guard deployment to multiple U.S. cities &#8220;greatly reduced&#8221; crime and warned, &#8220;We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again &#8211; Only a question of time!&#8221;

Gavin Newsom/Donald Trump

Trump Says Fraud Investigation ‘Has Begun’ In Newsom’s California: ‘More Corrupt Than Minnesota’

Trump Administration

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Friday that a California ban on openly carrying firearms violates the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, giving gun owners a major win in the deep blue state.
In a 2-1 <a href="https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2026/01/02/24-565.pdf">ruling</a>, the appeals court partially sided with a California gun owner Mark Baird, who sued over California&#8217;s ban on openly carrying a firearm in counties with more than 200,000 residents. The law, which went into effect as an &#8220;urban open-carry ban,&#8221; effectively prohibited around 95% of California&#8217;s population from carrying a gun in public.
U.S. Circuit Judge Lawrence VanDyke, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, said in the ruling that &#8220;historical record makes unmistakably plain that open carry is part of this Nation’s history and tradition.&#8221;
&#8220;It was clearly protected at the time of the Founding and at the time of the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment. There is no record of any law restricting open carry at the Founding, let alone a distinctly similar historical regulation,&#8221; the judge stated. &#8220;California’s failure to satisfy its burden to present evidence of a relevant historical tradition of firearm regulation is dispositive with respect to California’s urban open-carry ban.&#8221;
The open-carry ban was <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-defends-commonsense-gun-law-prevents-illegal-gun">defended</a> by California Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta, who has pushed for gun control at the state and federal levels.
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In the ruling, VanDyke also said that California&#8217;s open-carry ban could not stand under the Supreme Court&#8217;s landmark decision in 2022 in New York State Rifle &amp; Pistol Association v Bruen, which found that Americans have the right to carry firearms in public. The judge also noted how most U.S. states generally allow for open carry, a list that included California until the state enacted its urban open carry ban in 2012.
&#8220;In doing so, California joined a tiny minority of states to have adopted such severe restrictions on open carry. In fact, California is the only state in the Ninth Circuit that has entirely banned open carry for the overwhelming majority of its citizens,&#8221; VanDyke wrote.
VanDyke was joined by Kenneth Lee, another Trump-appointed judge, in ruling against the California law. The three-judge panel ruled against Baird&#8217;s challenge of licensing requirements in counties with fewer than 200,000 residents.
Friday&#8217;s ruling comes after a 2023 decision from a district court judge who rejected a legal challenge to California&#8217;s open carry ban. Senior U.S. Circuit Judge N. Randy Smith, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, dissented in part, arguing that the appeals court &#8220;should have affirmed the district court.&#8221;

Shooting club

SECOND AMENDMENT WINS: Appeals Court Shoots Down ‘Unconstitutional’ California Open-Carry Ban

2nd Amendment

9th Circuit

Courts

Guns

U.S.

Editor’s note: This week, we’re reprinting some of our best stories from the past year. In this piece, originally published in June, former college president Greg Salsbury recounts the cost of California’s failed leadership.
* * *
Perhaps it is fitting that legendary Beach Boy and California native son Brian Wilson would pass away in the same year that a New York Times headline would ask, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/11/us/california-turmoil-resilience.html">“Is the California Dream a Mirage?”</a>
The social, environmental and economic disaster that is California has been mushrooming for decades now, with any improvements in the near term looking about as likely as a working bullet train from the north to the south in that state. The litany of negative facts emerging for the state is accompanied by descriptors such as “worst,” “first,” “record,” “ballooning,” “unsustainable,” “disaster,” and “mismanagement.” These ills are detailed in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-assemblyman-explains-how-state-has-mismanaged-fire-prevention-policies-as-wildfires-rage">myriad</a> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/opinion/bad-policy-served-as-kindling-for-californias-wildfires-forest-water-management-social-justice-c5b94a4f?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAif-IufnKaxHOP49zFGTHPZhQuqrXUEi-2TLq3CTiNpkYvlSDqNxFWNzK60iAw%3D&amp;gaa_ts=685d8562&amp;gaa_sig=3-LfR_GHU3tLPG-o-YsVjgoRNU1-opiK9zrnQzURPOZIBNcm7OIKeIV5kTdTHBKbOeKnRJ-BbcIcuJq-0ipu3Q%3D%3D">articles</a> <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/01/11/opinion/catastrophic-wildfires-left-la-in-ashes-due-to-californias-failing-liberal-leadership/">pointing</a> to California’s failed leadership.
Consider the overall economic situation. California went from a state budget surplus of <a href="https://www.hoover.org/research/after-100-billion-surplus-california-now-faces-73-billion-budget-deficit">$100b to a deficit of $73b</a> in just three years. This was driven in part from its decision in February of 2020 to escalate spending significantly while it was <a href="https://www.ppic.org/publication/whats-behind-californias-recent-population-decline-and-why-it-matters/">losing jobs</a>, and for the first time since receiving statehood in 1850, population. Between 2010 and 2023, the state saw 9.3 million people leave while only 6.7 million arrived — with a disproportionate number of the “leavers” in the high-income, high-tax-paying category.
California had the distinction of being rated as the very worst state in which to do business by <a href="https://chiefexecutive.net/california-is-the-worst-state-for-business-2014/">Chief Executive</a> magazine — for ten years in a row. Others were more positive with The <a href="https://sbecouncil.org/2019/05/06/new-report-sbe-council-ranks-50-states-according-to-public-policy-and-tax-climates-for-small-business/">Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council</a> seeing them as only the second worst state, and the <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/best-worse-states-entrepreneurs">Cato Institute</a> placing them at 48th out of 50 for entrepreneurs.
<a href="https://californiapolicycenter.org/reports/worsttobest/">The California Policy Center</a> concludes:
<blockquote>“For anyone operating a business in California – small, medium or large – the experiences of the last twenty years have been challenging, and it gets worse every year. California’s regulatory environment, its high taxes and exorbitant fees, and the overall cost of doing business are the toughest in the nation. Many businesses have voted with their feet, moving their operations to more welcoming business environments.” </blockquote>
According to WalletHub.com’s report “<a href="https://wallethub.com/edu/best-places-to-retire/6165">Best &amp; Worst Places to Retire (2025)</a>,” which examined 182 cities across the U.S., four out five of the worst cities in which to retire are in California.
The story is equally daunting in a host of other arenas for the state — education, illegal immigration, water, violent crime, theft, housing, insurance, energy, environment, assorted taxes and fees, cost of living, state employee pensions, healthcare, and more. <a href="https://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/%23editorial">ConsumerAffairs</a>, a consumer news and advocacy organization, compared all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C. across five categories: affordability, economy, education and health, quality of life, and safety. California ranked as the single least desirable state to move to. Their conclusion might have been influenced by seeing that, compared to all other 49 states in the nation, California has the:
<ul>
<li>Highest <a href="https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2023/demo/p60-280.html">poverty rate</a></li>
<li>Highest top marginal <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-income-tax-rates/">state income tax rate</a></li>
<li>Highest <a href="https://www.redfin.com/blog/most-expensive-states-to-buy-a-house/">median home price</a></li>
<li>Highest <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/state/state-gas-tax-rates-2024/">gasoline tax</a></li>
<li>Highest number of federal <a href="https://www.datapandas.org/ranking/welfare-recipients-by-state">welfare recipients</a></li>
<li>Highest amount of <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-states-blame-most-nearly-400-million-unemployment-fraud">unemployment benefit fraud</a></li>
<li>Highest number of <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/07/22/what-we-know-about-unauthorized-immigrants-living-in-the-us/">illegal immigrants</a></li>
<li>Highest percentage of <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/map-states-most-high-school-dropouts-1872310">high school dropouts</a></li>
<li>Highest rates of <a href="https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/human-trafficking-statistics-by-state">human trafficking</a></li>
<li>Highest <a href="https://247wallst.com/special-report/2024/02/13/this-is-the-state-with-the-most-homeless-people-every-state-ranked/">homeless population</a></li>
<li>Highest level of <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/releases/z1/dataviz/pension/comparative_view/table/">state pension shortfall</a></li>
<li>Highest level of <a href="https://www.consumeraffairs.com/movers/states-people-are-moving-to-and-from.html">net exodus</a> from the state</li>
<li>Highest <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/630090/states-with-the-average-electricity-price-for-the-residential-sector-in-the-us/">cost for kilowatt hours</a> in the continental U.S.</li>
</ul>
While many folks have wryly referred to California as, “the most expensive weather in the world,” an increasing number of people are rethinking that cost — especially when the weather itself is now regularly accompanied by wildfires, mudslides, and earthquakes.
The <a href="https://hgbr.org/californias-economic-challenges-a-growing-exodus-and-policy-concerns/">Hampton Global Business Review</a> concludes, “The allure of California’s beaches and innovation hubs might not be enough to counteract the growing disenchantment among its residents and business leaders.”
While all of this is more than sobering, contrary to the popular narrative, the untenable situation in which the state now finds itself cannot be blamed solely or even largely on the handful of people who have occupied the top leadership roles or even the few thousand in mid-tier management/political roles for the state. To be sure, many of those people have largely been far worse than feckless; they have been actively counterproductive — perhaps even maleficent. But blaming leadership is like blaming guns for shooting homicides. They could not have performed this disservice without the active support of the California voters.
Time and time again, California voters continue to check the box for more of the same people who continue to inflict damage on them for decades now. But more importantly, they knowingly do so. No objective observer can credibly argue that Californians have been fooled or misled by their leaders or the outrageous decisions they have made, or failed to make.
The great scholar, author, and life-long California resident Dr. Victor Davis Hanson has for years <a href="https://goodreads.com/book/show/28121811-the-decline-and-fall-of-california">detailed</a> the disastrous results of many of these decisions — from eliminating fire-preventing forest management, to not only failing to build appropriate dams but blowing up existing dams and eliminating reservoirs, to promoting unchecked and mass illegal immigration.
There was likely no more clarifying moment of truth on this point than when Governor Gavin Newsom faced a recall. His record was damning. There was the bungled and hypocritical mismanagement of the COVID virus response — complete with vaccine shortages, maskless French Laundry dinners with friends, and arbitrary business closure guidelines, a budget deficit that was more than double his own projection, and most importantly, the ignoring or exacerbation of most of the long list of the aforementioned maladies destroying the state.
Not only did the recall effort fail miserably, with Newsom receiving a convincing approval mandate of 62% of the vote, but he was then solidly re-elected in 2022 with nearly that same margin. California voters, no doubt painfully aware of all of these issues essentially said, “Yes, yes, yes! Give us more of this!”
But suppose for just a moment that Newsom had been recalled, that perhaps he had skewered one of the sacred cows big enough to motivate his ouster. Perhaps he drove a diesel car, or contended that there is something wrong about allowing a 250lb biological male athlete to compete with women, or suggested that maybe the unpunished shoplifting limit should be reduced from $950 to say $500, or publicly stated that illegal immigrants are not entitled to the same rights as U.S. citizens. Who would voters have suggested take his place? It almost certainly would have been another entity not dissimilar to Newsom in any significant way.
All of this is exacerbated by the fact that so many logically thinking, hard-working, patriotic Americans are leaving California if they can. With each passing year, the state is left with an increasingly left-leaning voter base — and they like it that way.  Thus, it is folly to believe that California’s ills can be solved as simply as replacing a few, key incompetent leaders. California’s failed leadership is not nearly as problematic as its failed follower-ship. And that is a far harder nut to crack.
Brian Wilson made a career writing songs about the abundant fun, fun, fun available in the Golden State. Were he with us today, begrudgingly or not, he would have to admit that clearly, daddy took the T-Bird away.
* * *
Greg Salsbury, Ph.D. is former president of Western Colorado University and Board of Advisor member for <a href="https://starrs.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">STARRS.US</a>.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Newsom best of

Best Of 2025: California Had Fun, Fun, Fun — Until Voters Took The T-Bird Away

Business

Jobs

Opinion

Small Businesses

Taxes

California’s Department of Motor Vehicles has <a href="https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/news-and-media/california-dmv-extends-date-of-nondomiciled-cdl-action">delayed</a> plans to cancel about 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses held by individuals unlawfully living in the state, giving them an extra 60 days before the licenses are revoked. The extension follows a lawsuit from leftist immigrant advocacy groups, which argue the move is needed to protect people’s ability to work.
The DMV announced Tuesday that it is pushing back the January 5, 2026, revocation deadline to March 6.
Federal officials, led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, blasted the Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, accusing California of ducking accountability after issuing licenses that did not comply with federal law and endangered public safety.
Duffy responded to the news by writing on X: “Gavin Newsom is lying. The deadline to revoke illegally issued, unvetted foreign trucker licenses is still January 5. California does NOT have an ‘extension’ to keep breaking the law and putting Americans at risk on the roads.  Miss the deadline, Gavin, and the @USDOT  will act — including cutting nearly $160 million in federal funding.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Gavin Newsom is lying. The deadline to revoke illegally issued, unvetted foreign trucker licenses is still January 5.
California does NOT have an “extension” to keep breaking the law and putting Americans at risk on the roads.
Miss the deadline, Gavin, and the <a href="https://twitter.com/USDOT?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USDOT</a> will act —…
&mdash; Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/2006203195165462545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The potential loss of $160 million in transportation funding is on top of $40 million already withheld from California for failing to enforce federal English-language requirements for truckers. Duffy argues the state was caught ignoring rules requiring proof of lawful presence and work authorization tied to the duration of a license. Federal audits found that some licenses remained valid long after their legal status had expired, while in other cases, officials couldn’t even prove that immigration status had been checked.
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Federal scrutiny intensified after a deadly Florida crash in which an illegal immigrant truck driver made an illegal U-turn and killed three people. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said California gave &#8220;an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License” who had no “legal right” to be in the United States.
That tragedy highlighted the consequences of weak licensing safeguards. Rather than acknowledge systemic failings, Newsom’s office lashed out at Duffy online, <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/1988672753793388708?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">accusing</a> him of lying — even though the DHS and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) identified serious compliance problems, forcing California to finally act.
In reality, California only began revoking the licenses after federal pressure, not out of concern for safety or the rule of law. Even now, the DMV’s  “extension” is being <a href="https://apnews.com/article/commercial-drivers-license-immigrants-california-0eb0b6849e65ae9671fc250109173f83">celebrated</a> by leftist advocacy groups, while trade associations and federal regulators stress that unvetted or ineligible drivers should never have been licensed in the first place. Trucking groups back Duffy’s push to ensure drivers are legally authorized and sufficiently fluent in English to safely operate massive commercial vehicles on American roads.
Newsom’s response, attacking the messenger rather than fixing the system, contrasts sharply with Duffy’s emphasis on enforcement, public safety, and accountability. Duffy has consistently maintained that California violated long-standing FMCSA rules and that his emergency actions were needed because the state refused to comply until penalties loomed.
Meanwhile, California officials continue to frame the conflict around worker protections instead of public safety and legal compliance — despite DHS publicly stating that California issued a CDL to a driver with “no legal right” to be in the country.
In short, the issue reflects a clear divide: Duffy is insisting on law, safety, and federal standards, while Newsom is prioritizing political messaging over serious regulatory failures that could, and already did, cost lives.

MixCollage-31-Dec-2025-09-33-AM-6389

‘Newsom Is Lying’: Duffy Slams California Over License Extension For Illegal Drivers

Department of Transportation

Drivers Licenses

Sean Duffy

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