California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing to freeze enrollment for illegal immigrants in the state&#8217;s free health care program.
Newsom&#8217;s 2025-2026 revised budget proposal, which is set to be released later on Wednesday, plans to block new adult applications from illegal immigrants to the Medi-Cal program as soon as January 1, the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-05-14/newsom-walks-back-free-healthcare-for-undocumented-immigrants" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The governor, who previously expanded Medi-Cal from going to children of low-income illegal immigrants to making it available to all income-eligible illegal immigrants, is now concerned about cutting back on California&#8217;s spending as the state faces a budget deficit. The expanded free health program has cost billions more than the state expected.
In addition to freezing enrollment at the beginning of next year, Newsom also wants to begin charging illegal immigrants who remain in the program $100 a month, starting in 2027, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/us/california-newsom-healthcare-budget.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Newsom&#8217;s office says the change will save California $5.4 billion through 2028-2029.
Last year, California became the <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/california-1st-state-offer-health-insurance-undocumented-immigrants/story?id=105986377" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first state</a> to offer free health insurance to illegal immigrants, but the program quickly ballooned as more joined than the state had expected, according to the L.A. Times. California lawmakers and Gov. Newsom recently approved a $3.4 billion loan to pay for the expanded program&#8217;s extra expenses through June. It&#8217;s the third straight year that Newsom and Democratic lawmakers have been forced to cut spending after allocating more money for big government programs than the state has available to spend.
Newsom has also blamed President Donald Trump&#8217;s tariffs for hurting California&#8217;s economy, projecting that the state would lose $16 billion in revenue between 2025 and 2026.
Newsom&#8217;s revised budget proposal also comes as the Trump administration targets state-funded programs for illegal immigrants. Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/news/2025/05/12/department-homeland-security-investigates-state-california-providing-federal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> an investigation into California&#8217;s program that hands out cash assistance to elderly illegal immigrants who are ineligible for Social Security because of their immigration status. The Trump administration is pushing to &#8220;make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally.&#8221;
“Radical left politicians in California prioritize illegal aliens over our own citizens, including by giving illegal aliens access to cash benefits,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “The Trump Administration is working together to identify abuse and exploitation of public benefits and make sure those in this country illegally are not receiving federal benefits or other financial incentives to stay illegally. If you are an illegal immigrant, you should leave now. The gravy train is over. While this subpoena focuses only on Los Angeles County – it is just the beginning.”

Gavin Newsom

Newsom Wants To Cut Back On Free Health Care Program That He Expanded To Illegal Immigrants

California

Health

Health Care

illegal immigrants

Illegal Immigration

Immigration

Trump Administration

Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday called on cities to ban homeless encampments from public property, using billions in state funding as leverage.
The guidance from Newsom, an early contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, would prohibit people from placing tents on public property, including sidewalks, parks, and bike paths, while also banning individuals from sleeping on streets with sleeping bags or blankets for more than three consecutive days.
&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets. Local leaders asked for resources — we delivered the largest state investment in history. They asked for legal clarity — the courts delivered,&#8221; Newsom <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/12/us-news/newsom-calls-to-ban-homeless-encampments-on-public-property/">said</a> in a statement, per the New York Post.
Enabled by last year&#8217;s Supreme Court <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/28/us/politics/supreme-court-homelessness.html">ruling</a> that upheld an Oregon law banning camping on public property, the guidance represents a notable shift in Newsom&#8217;s approach to managing homelessness.
&#8220;Now, we&#8217;re giving them a model they can put to work immediately, with urgency and with humanity, to resolve encampments and connect people to shelter, housing, and care. The time for inaction is over. There are no more excuses.&#8221;
However, Newsom&#8217;s ordinance specifies that no one &#8220;should face criminal punishment for sleeping outside when they have nowhere else to go,&#8221; and further requires city officials to &#8220;make every reasonable effort to identify and offer shelter&#8221; and services to encampment residents.
Newsom is unable to compel municipalities to implement the ban, but he has pledged approximately $3.3 billion in state funding to cities that adopt his guidance.
The model ordinance would allow for enforcement that officials hope could begin to reshape California&#8217;s urban landscape without running afoul of legal precedent, encouraged by California voters approving a Newsom-backed measure imposing strict requirements on counties to spend on housing and drug treatment programs to address homelessness.
A 2024 statewide audit <a href="https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/04/california-homelessness-spending/">found</a> that Newsom’s government had spent $24 billion to address homelessness since 2019, only for the state to have a record homeless <a href="https://www.ppic.org/blog/homelessness-hits-record-high-in-california-jumps-dramatically-in-rest-of-us/">population</a> of 187,000, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
Newsom&#8217;s rightward shift on homelessness has faced backlash from many progressives in the lead-up to the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, with the progressive Current Affairs magazine deeming Newsom &#8220;not a progressive.&#8221;
<div class="css-175oi2r">
<div class="css-175oi2r r-1s2bzr4">
<div id="id__nyh2uch1rqd" class="css-146c3p1 r-bcqeeo r-1ttztb7 r-qvutc0 r-37j5jr r-1inkyih r-16dba41 r-bnwqim r-135wba7" dir="auto" lang="en" data-testid="tweetText">&#8220;Gavin Newsom isn’t fighting homelessness, he’s fighting homeless people. Banning encampments won’t fix the housing crisis, but it will make life more miserable for those with nowhere to go,&#8221; the magazine <a href="https://x.com/curaffairs/status/1921959173295591437">wrote</a> on X.</div>
</div>
</div>

California Governor Newsom Announces New Funding For Los Angeles Communities Affected By Wildfires

Newsom Calls On Cities To Clear Homeless Encampments Ahead Of 2028

Homelessness

Los Angeles

San Francisco

Social Issues

U.S.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is aggressively courting Canadian tourists, painting the state as a safe haven from the Trump administration.
Newsom launched a tourism campaign targeted at Canadians on Monday as the state attempts to bring back tourists who have canceled vacations in the United States over President Donald Trump&#8217;s treatment of Canada. In one video message, Newsom said California and Canada &#8220;have always shared so much in common.&#8221;
“Sure, you-know-who is trying to stir things up back in D.C., but don’t let that ruin your beach plans,” the governor added. “California is the ultimate playground — over 2,000 miles from Washington and a world away in mindset. From our iconic beaches and national parks to world-class wine, food, and outdoor adventure — there’s something here for everyone.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="#California Launches #Tourism Campaign Welcoming #Canadians  #shorts #visitcalifornia #canada #news" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6b_p6TMduT8?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>
“Here in California, we have plenty of sunshine and a whole lot of love for our neighbors up north,” Newsom stated at the end of the video.
As Trump hits Canada with a 25% tariff and repeatedly suggests that the nation should become the 51st state, some Canadians are nixing their plans to travel to the United States. Last year, nearly two million Canadians visited California, spending around $3.7 billion in the Golden State, the governor&#8217;s office stated, according to The Los Angeles Times.
Canada has also started a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/canada-buys-ads-in-a-dozen-states-against-trumps-tariffs?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Canada+Buys+Ads+In+A+Dozen+States+Against+Trump%E2%80%99s+Tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">billboard campaign</a> in the United States against Trump&#8217;s tariffs. According to Global Affairs Canada spokesman John Babcock, the billboards are part of an “educational campaign to inform Americans” about the costs of tariffs.
Earlier this month, the Canadian government retaliated with a 25% tariff on over $20 billion worth of U.S. goods.
Despite President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-agree-on-many-things-trump-had-extremely-productive-call-with-canadas-new-liberal-pm?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98We+Agree+On+Many+Things%E2%80%99%3A+Trump+Had+%E2%80%98Extremely+Productive+Call%E2%80%99+With+Canada%E2%80%99s+New+Liberal+PM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> he had an &#8220;extremely productive call&#8221; with Canada&#8217;s new Liberal Prime Minister Mark Carney, the trade war between the two countries has shown no signs of cooling down in the near future.
In the meantime, Newsom — who is expected to run for president in 2028 — is reaching out to Canadian tourists and seeking to further develop economic and political relationships with Canada. On Monday, the governor <a href="https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/1911871226504790514" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met</a> with British Columbia Premier David Eby &#8220;to discuss opportunities for expanding California&#8217;s partnership with British Columbia on climate &amp; trade.&#8221;
&#8220;As tariffs threaten jobs &amp; businesses on both sides of the border, California remains a steady, reliable partner open for business,&#8221; Newsom said.

Gavin Newsom/Canadians

‘So Much In Common’: Newsom Courts Canadians With New Tourism Campaign

Canada

Donald Trump

Global Politics

Tourism

Former Vice President and failed 2024 presidential candidate Kamala Harris suggested on Thursday that she is sticking around the political scene.
In one of her few public appearances since losing in an electoral landslide to President Donald Trump in November, Harris spoke at the Leading Women Defined Summit in Dana Point, California, and left the door open for a future political campaign.
&#8220;We can’t go out there and do battle if we don’t take care of ourselves and each other. I’ll see you out there. I’m not going anywhere,&#8221; Harris said, according to <a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-04-03/in-o-c-former-vice-president-harris-says-shell-stay-politically-active-im-not-going-anywhere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Los Angeles Times</a>.
During her speech, Harris didn&#8217;t mention any specific position she&#8217;s gunning for, but the former California attorney general and senator has <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/07/kamala-harris-california-governor-decision-deadline-00216737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> been seriously considering a run for governor of the Golden State. According to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/07/kamala-harris-california-governor-decision-deadline-00216737" target="_blank" rel="noopener">POLITICO</a>, Harris set a deadline for the end of summer to officially make a decision.
Current California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom is term-limited in 2026 and is being floated as a potential leading candidate for the Democrats in the 2028 presidential election. A handful of Democrats have already jumped into the governor&#8217;s race in California, including former California Attorney General and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bidens-hhs-secretary-jumps-into-california-governors-race?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;title=Biden%E2%80%99s+HHS+Secretary+Jumps+Into+California+Governor%E2%80%99s+Race&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> his campaign for governor earlier this week.
Becerra joins former Democratic Rep. Katie Porter, former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former State Controller Betty Yee, former state legislator Toni Atkins, and state schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond in what is already becoming a crowded Democratic primary.
Harris didn&#8217;t mention Trump by name during her speech on Thursday, but she did allude to the president&#8217;s administration and lamented that organizations are &#8220;capitulating&#8221; to Trump&#8217;s orders.
“There is a sense of fear that is taking hold in our country, and I understand it,” she said. “These are the things that we are witnessing each day in these last few months in our country, and it understandably creates a great sense of fear. Because, you know, there were many things that we knew would happen, many things.”
She also suggested that the concerns she discussed about another Trump presidency on the campaign trail are becoming a reality. “I’m not here to say, ‘I told you so.&#8217; I swore I wasn’t going to say that,” she remarked.

Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris Hints At Future Political Run: ‘I’m Not Going Anywhere’

Elections

Politics

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) suggested that California Governor Gavin Newsom should look in the mirror with his damning critique of the Democratic Party.
Newsom, who is seen as a potential 2028 contender for the White House, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/us/politics/newsom-democrats-toxic.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> during a recent episode of HBO&#8217;s &#8220;Real Time With Bill Maher&#8221; that the &#8220;Democratic brand&#8221; was &#8220;toxic&#8221; and referred to polls showing favorability for the party under 30%.
During an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/bennet-says-gabbard-and-ratcliffe-lied-repeatedly-to-congress-about-signal-chat-full-interview-235797573843" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet The Press,&#8221; moderator Kristen Welker said those were &#8220;powerful words&#8221; from Newsom and asked Bennet if he agreed with the assessment.
&#8220;I do agree that the Democratic Party brand is really problematic. And I think that it is a brand that is, with all respect to my colleague from my California, is associated with New York and with California, is associated with the educated elites in this country, and not anymore with working people in this country,&#8221; Bennet said.
Bennet is not the only Democrat lawmaker to swipe back at Newsom.
&#8220;With respect, [Newsom] the Democratic party is not &#8216;toxic,'&#8221; Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), who represents Silicon Valley, <a href="https://x.com/RoKhanna/status/1906025826296197448" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X. &#8220;This is not the time to join the chorus in bashing our party. The rage should be about what Trump is doing TODAY. Let&#8217;s share what our party has done &amp; offer a forward vision for the future.&#8221;
Bennet argued that President Donald Trump has presented some &#8220;good news&#8221; for the party when it comes to his economic pursuits and healthcare, but he also contended that the Democrat Party has to rise to the occasion in order to gain back trust.
&#8220;The Democratic Party ought to be able to come back, under those circumstances, with a pretty good argument about why we could leader better than Donald Trump and why we are able to provide a better set of economic policies, a much better set of healthcare policies than ensures universal healthcare, finally, for everybody in this country.&#8221;
After mentioning the need to improve education and claiming that &#8220;our kids are invisible to Donald Trump, Bennet went on to say: &#8220;If the Democratic Party would show up with some imagination, I think, not only would we do better, the American people would do better.&#8221;

California Governor Gavin Newsom

Dem Senator Agrees With Newsom That Dems Are ‘Toxic’ — But Says California Is The Problem

Dem Senator Agrees With Newsom That Dems Are 'Toxic' — But Says California Is The Problem

Congress

Democrats

U.S. Senate

On Thursday, Secretary of Education Linda McMahon fired off a letter to California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom warning him that public schools that permit boys to play in girls’ sports could lose federal funding.
In an attempt to mitigate his record as an ardent leftist, Newsom recently reversed himself on the issue, saying it is “deeply unfair” for male athletes to participate in women&#8217;s sports.
“An overwhelming majority of Americans agree with you that biological men in women&#8217;s sports is unfair and wrong,” McMahon wrote. “Many are confused, however, by your office&#8217;s silence on the harms of substituting ‘gender identity’ for sex in other areas of the school environment. After all, if men ‘identifying as women; shouldn&#8217;t play women&#8217;s sports, why do California schools continue to let boys ‘identifying as girls’ use girls&#8217; bathrooms and locker rooms, and sleep in girls-only overnight accommodations?”
“School personnel have no business promoting the false notion that kids can choose or change their sex,” McMahon stated bluntly. “If a child does exhibit this behavior, the school has a duty to notify parents.”
“Take a stand on your convictions,” she told the man who often takes the most politically advantageous position for his career.
Even legacy media outlets have taken note of Newsom&#8217;s recent recalibration of his &#8220;convictions.&#8221;
CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/politics/kfile-gavin-newsom-podcast-policy-reversal-trans-sports-latinx/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> last week: “Since launching his new podcast two weeks ago, Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken aim at a number of causes popular among progressives: He’s rejected the term ‘Latinx,&#8217; said he doesn’t back trans women competing in women’s sports, and suggested he opposes taxpayer-funded gender transition surgeries for prisoners and detained immigrants.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
After telling me that no one in his office ever used the term Latinx, CNN put together a brutal compilation of Gov. Gavin Newsom personally and repeatedly using the phrase.
If he&#39;ll lie like this, directly to my face, on camera&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/mx2nskMGhe">pic.twitter.com/mx2nskMGhe</a>
&mdash; Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) <a href="https://twitter.com/charliekirk11/status/1903187569829155222?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Be clear about the harms of gender confusion.” McMahon urged. “Protect female spaces. Do not encourage children to seek permanent medical interventions to their sex. Inform parents. Wouldn&#8217;t you, as a parent, appreciate knowing that your 5th grade daughter on a school trip might have to sleep overnight in rooms with boys and men ‘identifying’ as girls and women?”
She then laid down the gauntlet: “A great place to start protecting girls in California K-12 schools is to repeal Cal. Ed. Code 221.5(f) by calling on your legislature to pass AB 844. This would make it clear that California schools operate within reality and common sense. Sex-specific school programs and activities should be separated on the basis of sex, not the subjective feeling of “gender identity.’ Allowing participation in sex-separated activities based on ‘gender identity’ places schools at risk of Title IX violations and loss of federal funding.”
“As Governor, you have a duty to inform California school districts of this risk,” she pointed out. “You also have a duty to inform California educators and school officials that the creation of so-called ‘gender plans’ that are kept secret from parents is against federal law.”
“If a student claims a ‘gender identity’ at school, managing this issue bureaucratically while hiding it from parents violates the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). More importantly, it undermines the parent-child relationship and deprives parents of involvement in a critical aspect of their child&#8217;s youthful development. This is morally wrong, and as a parent, you should be naturally appalled, as I am, by the attempt to cut parents out of their children&#8217;s lives,” she wrote.
“Will you commit to working with the legislature to reverse the law you signed banning schools from notifying parents about students&#8217; gender identity?” she asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
JUST IN: Sec of Education Linda McMahon sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom DEMANDING that he inform California schools to comply with federal law and keep males out of female private spaces and sports. Failure to do so will result in the loss of funding. <a href="https://t.co/JDsuCGmKkh">pic.twitter.com/JDsuCGmKkh</a>
&mdash; Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/1905281387453706689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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MixCollage-27-Mar-2025-12-23-PM-984

McMahon Calls Out Newsom: Take A Stand On Your ‘Convictions’ On Trans Issues

McMahon Calls Out Newsom: Take A Stand On Your 'Convictions' On Trans Issues

Department of Education

Linda McMahon

Transgender

Transgenders

Gavin Newsom is reading the room.
On the California governor&#8217;s new podcast, “This Is Gavin Newsom,” which launched earlier this month, Newsom distances himself from some of Democrats&#8217; most controversial ideas like trans-identifying men in women&#8217;s sports, tax dollars paying for prisoners&#8217; transgender surgeries, and even the term &#8220;Latinx.&#8221;
With no context, a listener might never imagine Newsom himself has pushed those very progressive policies on California over his nearly 30 years in elected office.
In his first podcast episode, Newsom shocked his fellow Democrats by calling biological men competing in women’s sports &#8220;deeply unfair.&#8221;
&#8220;Would you say no to men in female sports?&#8221; Newsom&#8217;s conservative guest, Charlie Kirk, founder of TPUSA, asked him.
“I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that,” Newsom answered. “It is an issue of fairness — it’s deeply unfair.”
However, as far back as 2014 when Newsom was lieutenant governor, he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaA2RIwnXtg&amp;t=437s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrated</a> California&#8217;s new law allowing trans-identifying male students to compete in girls&#8217; sports. He celebrated <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/24/transgender-rights-california/5795659/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">again</a> when conservative groups failed to repeal that law.
The Trump campaign&#8217;s most successful ad last year highlighted Kamala Harris&#8217; support for taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries for detained migrants, telling viewers, “Kamala is for they/them, President Trump is for you.”
“‘Trump’s for you, she’s for they/them,’” Newsom <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/20/politics/kfile-gavin-newsom-podcast-policy-reversal-trans-sports-latinx?cid=ios_app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on his podcast, referencing the ad. “Devastating. And she didn’t even react to it, which was more devastating … people that are incarcerated and illegal and illegal incarcerated individuals getting taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgery. That is a 90/10 not an 80/20.”
But back in 2020, Newsom signed a bill allowing trans-identifying male prison inmates to be housed in women&#8217;s prisons. The new law resulted in a 52-year-old male inmate being transferred to a women&#8217;s facility and <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/gavin-newsom-now-backpedaling-on-trans-issues-signed-a-law-forcing-womens-prisons-to-accept-male-inmates/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allegedly</a> raping and impregnating several incarcerated women.
The law also <a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/SB132/id/2210293" target="_blank" rel="noopener">implied</a> some trans-identifying inmates would need taxpayer-funded hormones and surgeries, stating that &#8220;some transgender&#8221; people experience &#8220;gender dysphoria that requires medical treatment.&#8221;
California also already provides taxpayer-funded surgeries and hormones to illegal migrants thanks to the state&#8217;s 2015 Medicaid law, which was <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/12/us/health-care-undocumented-immigrants.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expanded</a> by Newsom in 2021.
Meanwhile, Newsom has repeatedly <a href="https://x.com/search?q=from%3AGavinNewsom%20latinx&amp;src=typed_query" target="_blank" rel="noopener">used</a> the term “Latinx,” a gender-neutral term to replace Latina or Latino.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm8g9779m000s3b6n6kql6hd9@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true" data-analytics-observe="off">“Not one person ever in my office has ever used the word Latinx,” Newsom claimed on his podcast.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm8g9779m000t3b6nsw4vhqer@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true" data-analytics-observe="off">“Where did that even – I just didn’t even know where it came from,” he said, calling the term an “out-of-touch fixation.”
Newsom&#8217;s podcast has featured other conservative guests as well, including Steve Bannon, a former Trump White House strategist.
Some conservatives have <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/03/20/republicans-gavin-newsom-podcast-2028-00240892" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> about Newsom&#8217;s apparent attempt to rebrand as a moderate, cautioning that he may be trying to set himself up for a presidential run in 2028.

Newsom Wants His Podcast Listeners To Forget He Supported ‘Latinx,’ Trans Surgeries And Sports

Newsom Wants His Podcast Listeners To Forget He Supported 'Latinx,' Trans Surgeries And Sports

Gender

General

Latinx

Wrestler-turned-politician Glenn Jacobs — known also by his ring name, Kane — challenged Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) to a charity match on Thursday, responding to the latter&#8217;s claims that Republicans were intimidated by him and that he could &#8220;kick most of their ass.&#8221;
Walz made the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tim-walz-baffled-americans-dont-think-hes-masculine-i-could-kick-most-of-their-a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assertions</a> during a discussion with fellow Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) — for his new podcast — while complaining that Republicans had fixated on his masculinity during the 2024 presidential election cycle, and his assessment was that they criticized his mannerisms because they were really a little bit scared of him.
&#8220;How do you fight it?” Walz asked Newsom, adding, “I think I could kick most of their a**! I do think that … I know I can outrun them. I don’t know if we’re going to fall into that place where we, okay, we challenge you to, you know, a WWE fight here, type of thing.&#8221;
Jacobs, now an influential Republican politician in Tennessee, responded to Walz&#8217;s bluster in an interview with The Daily Wire&#8217;s Brent Scher.
WATCH:
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This morning I ran into <a href="https://twitter.com/GlennJacobsTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GlennJacobsTN</a>, aka Kane, and asked him about Tim Walz saying he’d kick any MAGA voter’s ass. 
Here’s what he has to say: <a href="https://t.co/DsT8b7b8SN">pic.twitter.com/DsT8b7b8SN</a>
&mdash; Brent Scher (@BrentScher) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentScher/status/1902756309507658037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Jacobs later proposed an opportunity for Walz to make good on his threat — and even volunteered to get in the ring with him, for charity.
&#8220;All joking aside, @GovTimWalz, let&#8217;s put our money where our mouth is&#8230;in a charity wrestling match. We&#8217;ll split the gate 50/50 between our chosen organizations. I&#8217;ll kick things off myself with a $10,000 donation. What do you say?&#8221; Jacobs asked, adding, &#8220;#TennesseeWalz #LetsDance.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
All joking aside, <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovTimWalz</a>, let&#39;s put our money where our mouth is&#8230;in a charity wrestling match. We&#39;ll split the gate 50/50 between our chosen organizations. I&#39;ll kick things off myself with a $10,000 donation. What do you say? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TennesseeWalz?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TennesseeWalz</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LetsDance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LetsDance</a> <a href="https://t.co/2VV6j4RYs2">pic.twitter.com/2VV6j4RYs2</a>
&mdash; Glenn Jacobs (@GlennJacobsTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlennJacobsTN/status/1902846106679079132?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Radio host Dana Loesch offered to referee the match: &#8220;I would totally referee this.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I would totally referee this. <a href="https://t.co/3xodfRhwL9">https://t.co/3xodfRhwL9</a>
&mdash; Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) <a href="https://twitter.com/DLoesch/status/1902869706253484331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I would be front row!&#8221; VA Secretary Doug Collins said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I would be front row! <a href="https://t.co/zKhoDGrSfm">https://t.co/zKhoDGrSfm</a>
&mdash; Doug Collins (@RepDougCollins) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDougCollins/status/1902882125642072550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Should @CrainCompany referee this match?&#8221; David Cone asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Should <a href="https://twitter.com/CrainCompany?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CrainCompany</a> referee this match? <a href="https://t.co/nG0DilEtAY">https://t.co/nG0DilEtAY</a>
&mdash; David Cone (@davidadamcone) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidadamcone/status/1902847724531204568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Tell me where to send the check @GlennJacobsTN! Will pain me to see half the money go to the Minnesota Boys Tampon Fund though,&#8221; Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY) posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Tell me where to send the check <a href="https://twitter.com/GlennJacobsTN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GlennJacobsTN</a> ! Will pain me to see half the money go to the Minnesota Boys Tampon Fund though. <a href="https://t.co/6VGsDjvyg7">https://t.co/6VGsDjvyg7</a>
&mdash; Nick Langworthy (@NickLangworthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/NickLangworthy/status/1902887416806937072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Double or nothing for Hell in a Cell,&#8221; Shawn Farash added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Double or nothing for Hell in a Cell
&mdash; Shawn Farash (@Shawn_Farash) <a href="https://twitter.com/Shawn_Farash/status/1902871924511768582?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Everyone is always asking me if I have one last match left. I think I have found my final victim, er, I mean opponent,&#8221; Jacobs, posting as his old wrestling persona Kane, said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Everyone is always asking me if I have one last match left. I think I have found my final victim, er, I mean opponent. <a href="https://t.co/NYOraw0ES6">pic.twitter.com/NYOraw0ES6</a>
&mdash; Kane (@KaneWWE) <a href="https://twitter.com/KaneWWE/status/1902409973063151759?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Federalist&#8217;s Sean Davis predicted that the challenge would end in disappointment, however: &#8220;Walz is going to run from this just like he ran away [from] the military to avoid being deployed.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Walz is going to run from this just like he ran away the military to avoid being deployed. <a href="https://t.co/9Y3o2uM7tW">https://t.co/9Y3o2uM7tW</a>
&mdash; Sean Davis (@seanmdav) <a href="https://twitter.com/seanmdav/status/1902847460168360392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Politicon 2019 – Day 2

Former Wrestler Calls Walz’s Bluff, Challenges Him To Charity Match

Media

Tim Walz

Wrestling

Mel Gibson is reportedly “flattered” by the news that he&#8217;s the leading Republican candidate to run for California Governor in a new straw poll, but will not be throwing his hat in the ring.
A source close to the 69-year-old actor told <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/03/18/mel-gibson-flattered-california-governor-poll-favorability/">TMZ</a> that the “Braveheart” star is “flattered” by getting 12% in the poll amid a recall effort to remove Democrat CA Governor Gavin Newsom following the massive wildfires in southern California, rising crime, and more. But the source also made it clear that Gibson has no interest in the job.
In the Wednesday straw poll from The Lost Coast Outpost, Gibson leads Republicans, beating out Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco who received 11% of the vote, after becoming the only notable Republican candidate to enter the race. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and former congresswoman Katie Porter received 20% and 25% percent of the vote in the same poll that was taken among 2,640 respondents.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mel Gibson &#8216;Flattered&#8217; by Governor Poll Favorability, but Has Zero Interest | Click to read more 👇 <a href="https://t.co/sCL7fRyuwY">https://t.co/sCL7fRyuwY</a>
— TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1902039951039926627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
&#8220;He&#8217;s sticking with his day job for now,&#8221; Gibson&#8217;s publicist, Alan Nierob, told the <a href="https://californiaglobe.com/fr/exclusive-mel-gibson-confirms-to-globe-he-isnt-running-for-governor/">California Globe</a> following weeks of speculation.
Gibson recently spoke out at a Newsom recall event and blasted the governor over his &#8220;gross mismanagement&#8221; of the state following the devastating wildfires.
During a <a href="https://x.com/TONYxTWO/status/1894948199934079110">press conference</a> in Los Angeles, Gibson told the crowd that both Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had let them down after the actor became one of the numerous people who lost their homes in the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire.
“Governor Newsom and Karen Bass let us all down,” Gibson said, pointing out how much California residents pay in taxes. “Now for that kind of money, we deserve much more and much better, and there is absolutely no adequate excuse the governor or mayor can make for this gross mismanagement and failure to preemptively deal with what they knew was coming.”
“Was it incompetence? Was it indifference, complacency, carelessness? Was it negligence? Absolutely,” he added, asking the crowd if the mayor or governor “give a damn about you,” to which the crowd replied, “no.” “Newsom … has brought us nothing but rampant crime, acute homelessness, horrendous inflation.”
“I mean, the industry I work in, the film industry, this used to be the Mecca of filmdom. It is no more. All of my fellow citizens who have lost their homes, they have no recourse, no insurance payouts because the carriers dropped them,” Gibson continued, per The <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/mel-gibson-slams-mayor-bass-governor-newsom-altadena-press-conference-1236148644/">Hollywood Reporter</a>. 
“Even the carriers realized that California was ill-prepared and had scant resources to deal with the inevitable fires. They knew that. So are we supposed to believe that our elected officials didn’t know that? Of course they knew that. Of course.”
The event, which was organized by <a href="https://savingcalifornia.vote/">Saving California</a>, is focused on recalling Newsom and fixing the state’s economy, per its website.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mel-gibson-blasts-newsom-at-recall-event-for-governor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mel Gibson Blasts Newsom At Recall Event For Governor</a>

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson ‘Flattered’ By Report He’s Leading Republican In California Governor’s Race

Celebrities

Entertainment

governor

Hollywood

Republican

A number of Republicans fired back on Tuesday after Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) claimed that he could &#8220;kick most of their ass.&#8221;
Walz made the assertions during a conversation with fellow Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) for his new podcast after complaining about the fact that his own masculinity had been called into question during his bid for the vice presidency alongside running mate and former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
Walz said that it was a mistake for Democrats to let Republicans define issues like masculinity before claiming that he could &#8220;kick most of their ass&#8221; and suggesting that they only attacked him because he &#8220;scared them a little bit&#8221; — but his critics made it clear in their responses that was not the case.
Knox County, Tennessee, Mayor Glenn Jacobs — perhaps better known by his WWE name Kane — posted several responses to Walz&#8217;s comments.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://t.co/324MLTzBJH">https://t.co/324MLTzBJH</a> <a href="https://t.co/O6JsAyWCTd">pic.twitter.com/O6JsAyWCTd</a>
&mdash; Glenn Jacobs (@GlennJacobsTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlennJacobsTN/status/1902105233930543299?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;LOL, the toxic masculinity is shocking!&#8221; he commented.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
LOL, the toxic masculinity is shocking!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/324MLTzBJH">https://t.co/324MLTzBJH</a>
&mdash; Glenn Jacobs (@GlennJacobsTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlennJacobsTN/status/1902121129298313445?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;What do you say, @PlanetTyrus? Me and you against the Blue State Buffoons&#8211;Mr. Hair Gel #2 and Coach Command Sergeant Major Guy?&#8221; Jacobs said next, adding, &#8220;Word is that @harryjsisson and @davidhogg111 want in. I&#8217;m shaking!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Word is that <a href="https://twitter.com/harryjsisson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@harryjsisson</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/davidhogg111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@davidhogg111</a> want in. I&#39;m shaking!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
&mdash; Glenn Jacobs (@GlennJacobsTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlennJacobsTN/status/1902124684411535824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Jacobs then veered into a series of AI-generated images, saying, &#8220;With that steely stare and chiseled physique, who wouldn&#8217;t be intimidated seeing this across the ring from you?&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
With that steely stare and chiseled physique, who wouldn&#39;t be intimidated seeing this across the ring from you? <a href="https://t.co/324MLTzBJH">https://t.co/324MLTzBJH</a> <a href="https://t.co/0DpCsog7bT">pic.twitter.com/0DpCsog7bT</a>
&mdash; Glenn Jacobs (@GlennJacobsTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlennJacobsTN/status/1902204138311528519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;In honor of our official state song, introducing Tim &#8216;Tennessee&#8217; Walz. Who wants to do-si-do?&#8221; Jacobs added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
In honor of our official state song, introducing Tim &quot;Tennessee&quot; Walz. Who wants to do-si-do? <a href="https://t.co/6Aok8WbyCt">pic.twitter.com/6Aok8WbyCt</a>
&mdash; Glenn Jacobs (@GlennJacobsTN) <a href="https://twitter.com/GlennJacobsTN/status/1902365453101490350?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Former NWA wrestler Tyrus also weighed in on Walz&#8217;s comments, adding, &#8220;He really said that …. @GovTimWalz I’m your huckleberry that’s just my game say when …&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
He really said that …. <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovTimWalz</a> I’m your huckleberry that’s just my game say when … <a href="https://t.co/CZ2JYQQ2Dx">https://t.co/CZ2JYQQ2Dx</a>
&mdash; Tyrus (@PlanetTyrus) <a href="https://twitter.com/PlanetTyrus/status/1902088807828353058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trans-identifying former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner shot back, &#8220;I am more ‘masculine’ than this [clown emoji] Gov Walz.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I am more ‘masculine’ than this 🤡 Gov Walz <a href="https://t.co/EjW2fU1hI7">https://t.co/EjW2fU1hI7</a>
&mdash; Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) <a href="https://twitter.com/Caitlyn_Jenner/status/1902359159246557669?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I’m doubling down on Tim Walz. Let’s get in the ring for charity!&#8221; an Army combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’m doubling down on Tim Walz.
Let’s get in the ring for charity! <a href="https://t.co/PyIcB6hDAz">pic.twitter.com/PyIcB6hDAz</a>
&mdash; Steve 🇺🇸 (@SteveLovesAmmo) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveLovesAmmo/status/1902112146894250130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Jazz hands former VP loser Tim Walz told Gavin Newsome (sic) that he&#8230;could ‘kick Trump supporter’s asses’ in a WWE match. Come at me bro,&#8221; another said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Jazz hands former VP loser Tim Walz told Gavin Newsome that he he could ‘kick Trump supporter’s asses’ in a WWE match. 
Come at me bro 😂 <a href="https://t.co/n1L8qnkBOh">pic.twitter.com/n1L8qnkBOh</a>
&mdash; Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) <a href="https://twitter.com/saras76/status/1902073492482228505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Republican strategist Andrew Surabian jabbed at Walz&#8217;s complicated relationship with the truth in his response, saying, &#8220;Some people may say that this is a particularly stupid comment because WWE isn&#8217;t real fighting, but In fairness to Tim Walz, WWE is closer to being real fighting than Timmy is to being a real combat veteran.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Some people may say that this is a particularly stupid comment because WWE isn&#39;t real fighting, but In fairness to Tim Walz, WWE is closer to being real fighting than Timmy is to being a real combat veteran. <a href="https://t.co/eluNi3fb4S">https://t.co/eluNi3fb4S</a>
&mdash; Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) <a href="https://twitter.com/Surabees/status/1902141802645278813?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Dear Tim Walz, I’m a dyed in the wool Trump supporter. If your little fabulous ass thinks you can beat my ass, I’m your huckleberry. Ask Charles Barkley how it worked out for him. I don’t back down from anyone. Name the time and place. I’ll happily come and serve you a two piece, some biscuits, a full order of sides, and a complimentary drink. Super-sized. Let a brutha know. No hugs. Zeek,&#8221; Zeek Arkham added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Dear Tim Walz,
I’m a dyed in the wool Trump supporter. 
If your little fabulous ass thinks you can beat my ass, I’m your huckleberry.
Ask Charles Barkley how it worked out for him. I don’t back down from anyone.
Name the time and place. I’ll happily come and serve you a two… <a href="https://t.co/vdjfBlTSPX">https://t.co/vdjfBlTSPX</a> <a href="https://t.co/17DjaFWEGy">pic.twitter.com/17DjaFWEGy</a>
&mdash; Zeek Arkham 🇺🇸 (@ZeekArkham) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZeekArkham/status/1902121736545386796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Democratic Vice Presidential Nominee Tim Walz Campaigns In Tucson

Republicans Have Field Day After Tim Walz Claims He Can ‘Kick Most Of Their A**’

Republicans Have Field Day After Tim Walz Claims He Can 'Kick Most Of Their A**'

Masculinity

Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) complained about the fact that critics had cast doubt on his &#8220;masculinity,&#8221; particularly during the 2024 presidential election while he&#8217;d been vying for the vice presidency alongside running mate, former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Walz voiced his frustrations during a conversation with Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) for his new podcast, noting that he&#8217;d even been criticized once for using a straw.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨NEW: Tim Walz GRIPES about attacks on his masculinity during 2024 campaign🚨
&quot;It just baffled me how much time they spent trying to attack me — that I wasn&#39;t like masculine enough in their vision. Like, I would have never believed this.&quot; <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DailyCaller</a> <a href="https://t.co/3p4YkCpslv">pic.twitter.com/3p4YkCpslv</a>
&mdash; Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/1902066667980779737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;It just baffled me how much time they spent trying to attack me — that I wasn&#8217;t like masculine enough in their vision. Like, I would have never believed this,&#8221; Walz said. &#8220;I saw Fox News did like a couple days because I used a straw. And I&#8217;m like, &#8216;What the hell? What am I — How else do you drink a milkshake?&#8217; type of thing.&#8221;
&#8220;But they focused on it obsessively, which I think, again, is their obsession, their weirdness,&#8221; Walz continued. &#8220;We buy their frame on these issues of sexuality, you know, but their whole thing was — is that they spent all their time, these guys, on Fox News that &#8216;Walz is gay,&#8217; &#8216;not masculine,&#8217; you know, and &#8216;he doesn&#8217;t coach football the way he should&#8217; &#8230; what do you think about this?&#8221;
Walz turned to Newsom, who said, &#8220;This notion of masculinity is deeply part of it. I mean, I think it goes — you can look at the reasons why we&#8217;ve had this sort of dialectic over the Me Too movement, we&#8217;ve had this dialectic even prior to the Me Too movement and this notion of —&#8221;
&#8220;How do you fight it?&#8221; Walz interrupted. When Newsom attempted to answer, the Minnesota governor interrupted again, claiming, &#8220;I think I could kick most of their a**! I do think that &#8230; I know I can outrun them. I don&#8217;t know if we&#8217;re going to fall into that place where we, okay, we challenge you to, you know, a WWE fight here, type of thing.&#8221;
The conversation about masculinity — and &#8220;toxicity in masculinity&#8221; — continued with Newsom arguing that too many people had conflated the two ideas: &#8220;We&#8217;re going to have to work on that a little bit.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Tampon Tim Walz on his masculinity: “I think I scare them a little bit.” <a href="https://t.co/oiU36BvGky">pic.twitter.com/oiU36BvGky</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1902330345262887085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Walz followed by claiming that he believed conservatives were actually intimidated by him, adding, &#8220;I think some of us scare them. I think I scare them a little bit, it&#8217;s why they spend so much time on this. No, I&#8217;m serious, because I can fix a truck. They know I&#8217;m not bull-s****ing on this. But I&#8217;m not putting this in people&#8217;s grill. I don&#8217;t know if — my identity is not hunting. My identity is not football coaching. My identity is not, you know, a beard and a truck.&#8221;
Walz took criticism primarily for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/4-pinocchios-wapo-fact-checks-tim-walzs-latest-lie-about-jd-vance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lies he&#8217;s told</a> throughout his career — some of which pertained to his time as an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-democrats-media-battle-reality-to-lay-down-cover-fire-for-walz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assistant football coach</a> — and a campaign stunt in which he took reporters hunting with him and then <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/24-year-military-veteran-and-self-described-gun-guy-tim-walz-struggles-to-wrangle-his-own-firearm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">struggled mightily</a> to load his own firearm.

JD Vance And Tim Walz Face Off In Vice Presidential Debate In New York

Tim Walz Baffled Americans Don’t Think He’s ‘Masculine’: ‘I Could Kick Most Of Their A**’

Tim Walz Baffled Americans Don't Think He's 'Masculine': 'I Think I Could Kick Most Of Their A**'

2024 Election

The following is an excerpt taken from the new book “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fools-Gold-Radicals-Traitors-California/dp/1546008039">Fool’s Gold: The Radicals, Con Artists, And Traitors Who Killed The California Dream And Now Threaten Us All</a>” By Susan Crabtree and Jedd McFatter. (Center Street/Hachette, March 2025)
* * *
The Failed Progressive Vision
Under Newsom’s watch, violent crime in California has skyrocketed. Homicides jumped by 33.9 percent and aggravated assaults by 25.3 percent in 2022, with gun‑related homicides and aggravated assaults soaring by 37.7 percent and 61.1 percent, respectively. The actual rates are likely much higher. Crime data only captures incidents reported to police, and many crimes go unreported.
The rapidly rising crime rates didn’t just occur in a vacuum. They directly correspond with Newsom’s decade‑plus‑long progressive experiment with criminal justice reform, which has resulted in far lighter sentences and the premature release of violent criminals from jail. After Newsom released tens of thousands of prisoners during COVID, ostensibly to prevent the virus from spreading among California’s incarcerated criminals, the state prison population dropped from 160,000 in 2011 to around 91,556 by mid‑2024. As we discuss in Chapter 4, Newsom has been accused of releasing these prisoners under a false premise. COVID death rates in the state­ corrections system have been markedly lower than in the outside population. Even as crime surges, Newsom’s administration estimates the prison population will drop to roughly 86,000 by 2028.
Newsom is not only emptying prisons; he is also shutting them down. His administration has closed or is closing four state prisons, and has plans to “reimagine and transform” San Quentin, the state’s oldest and most notorious prison (and previous home to the largest “death row” in the United States), into a rehabilitation center. “We are literally tearing down walls to reimagine our prison system, incentivize true rehabilitation, and end cycles of violence and crime,” Newsom said in a 2024 press release. “Brick by brick, we’re building a new future that will make all of us safer.” But Newsom cited no evidence that the state is growing safer because there is none. As we will explain in Chapter 5 the state’s corrections agency won’t disclose rehabilitation results for the years Newsom has served in review copy office. Again, Newsom and the progressives’ failed COVID policies exacerbated the problem. During the pandemic, when millions were out of work and the state had the highest unemployment in the nation, flash mobs of masked robbers stormed through the doors of Nordstrom and other high‑end retailers in San Francisco and Greater Los Angeles, stealing thousands of dollars of purses, clothes, and jewelry. This type of organized retail theft has become such a massive problem that many retailers are closing their doors for good. By mid‑ 2024, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Whole Foods, Anthropologie, Old Navy, Office Depot, 7‑Eleven, and Denny’s all announced plans to close stores in downtown San Francisco or nearby Oakland. Starbucks and Target have also closed locations.
<div id="attachment_890669" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fools-Gold-Radicals-Traitors-California/dp/1546008039"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-890669" class="size-large wp-image-890669" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/91tKIgq7KIL._SL1500_-384x576.jpg" alt="Cover copyright: 2025 by Hachette Book Group, Inc." width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/91tKIgq7KIL._SL1500_-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/91tKIgq7KIL._SL1500_-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/91tKIgq7KIL._SL1500_-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/03/91tKIgq7KIL._SL1500_.jpg 1000w" sizes="(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" /></a>Cover copyright: 2025 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.</div>
Newsom attributes business closures in downtown San Francisco to “macroeconomic” shifts, not rampant theft, drug use, and violent crime. In August 2023, downtown San Francisco was such a hotbed of crime, homelessness, and drugs that the US Department of Health and Human Services advised employees at the Nancy Pelosi Federal Building in the Tenderloin District to work remotely “for the foreseeable future.” Showing up for work at the building had become just too dangerous.
In January 2024, California’s homegrown, beloved burger joint, In‑N‑­Out Burger, announced that it would close a store for the first time in its ­seventy‑five‑year history, citing crime. The franchise no longer considered the store near Oakland International Airport safe for operation. “We feel the frequency and severity of the crimes being encountered by our customers and associates leave us no alternative,” the company said. “Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our customers and associates are regularly victimized by car break‑ ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies.”
Southern California isn’t faring much better. More and more businesses in Santa Monica and Los Angeles, even on once tony and vibrant Wilshire Avenue, have boarded up due to vandalism, crime, and homelessness scaring customers away.
“Mayor, we need your help. We need your help in this area,” Sean James, an independent contractor who runs a business in Santa Monica pleaded in an interview with a local Fox News affiliate.
The surge in violent murders, rapes, organized retail thefts, and other crimes that shock the conscience are directly the result of Newsom’s failed progressive vision and can be laid squarely at his feet. Back in 2014, when Newsom was lieutenant governor, he was the highest‑ranking official pushing the specific progressive ballot measure responsible for the chaos: Proposition 47. This was the George Soros–backed policy that decriminalized drug, property crimes, and even certain sex crimes. Prop. 47 turned theft of items valued under $950, and some drug offenses, from felonies to misdemeanors. Newsom vocally supported the progressive activists and organizations pushing Prop. 47, while his boss, then‑Governor Jerry Brown, remained quiet. The measure passed by a wide margin.
Despite the bedlam that has ensued, Newsom now seems in denial over the disastrous effects of Prop. 47. In early 2024, he revealed that he witnessed a shoplifter steal from Target without workers intervening to stop. When he confronted an employee about it, the woman blamed the California governor for passing laws that emboldened criminals — before realizing he was in fact the governor. “Why didn’t you stop him?” Newsom recalls asking the Target employee. “The governor lowered the threshold &#8230; there’s no accountability,” the employee said. Newsom’s description of the encounter was widely ridiculed for his failure to recognize the obvious truth in the Target employee’s accusation. 
* * *
This excerpt is taken from the new book “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fools-Gold-Radicals-Traitors-California/dp/1546008039" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fool’s Gold</a>” by Susan Crabtree and Jedd McFatter. Published by permission of Center Street/Hachette Book Group. Copyright © 2025 by Susan Crabtree and Jedd McFatter.
Susan Crabtree is senior White House and national political correspondent for RealClearPolitics.
Jedd McFatter is the director of research at Peter Schweizer’s Government Accountability Institute.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

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