California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is touting a 66% increase in per-student education spending since taking office, but state reading scores show that the massive cash infusion has done little to improve literacy, and in some cases, student performance has worsened.
Newsom celebrated the spending increase this week, boasting on social media that California now spends a record $28,282 per student as his administration makes what he called “historic investments in public education.” But state proficiency data complicates the governor’s victory lap: black students’ reading proficiency remained flat at 32% between the year before Newsom took office and the most recent reporting year, despite billions in additional educational funding. White students, meanwhile, saw reading proficiency fall from 65% to 62% over the same period.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Reading proficiency of black students in California in the year before Newsom took office: 32%
In the most recent year: 32%
So, a 66% increase in spending led to a 0% increase in reading proficiency. <a href="https://t.co/62o27hKNWy">https://t.co/62o27hKNWy</a>
— i/o (@avidseries) <a href="https://twitter.com/avidseries/status/2055339577032708227?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
The figures raise fresh questions about whether Newsom’s education agenda has translated into measurable classroom gains, or whether the Democratic governor is using ballooning budgets to score political points while academic outcomes stagnate.
When Newsom entered office in 2019, California’s K-12 schools received roughly $17,423 per student from state, local, and federal funding sources. Under his proposed 2026-27 budget, that figure has climbed to more than $28,000 per student, representing one of the sharpest spending increases in the nation. Newsom has repeatedly framed the increase as proof that his administration is transforming public education, describing California’s school funding as “the envy of many other states.”
Yet long-running arguments from teachers unions and education officials that low funding was the primary driver behind California’s lagging academic performance now face greater scrutiny. California was once near the bottom nationally in per-pupil spending, but now ranks among the top tier of states. Student outcomes, however, have improved in tandem.
Critics argue that much of the additional funding has gone toward expanding bureaucracy, new state initiatives, and higher compensation packages rather than directly improving core academic performance. Some districts have used the additional funding to shore up payroll and pension obligations even as enrollment declines and test scores remain weak. 
The disconnect is particularly stark for minority students, whom Newsom and other California Democrats frequently invoke when defending higher education spending. Despite the governor’s 66% funding increase, black students’ reading proficiency has not improved during his tenure, raising questions about whether the state’s historic spending spree has failed to move the needle for one of the groups Democratic politicians most often claim to prioritize. In California, at least, Newsom’s record spending has so far produced a record bill, without the record achievement.

62. Munich Security Conference

Gavin Newsom Brags His Constituents Are Spending More Money To Make Kids Dumber

California

Education

Gavin Newsom

spending

Governor Gavin Newsom’s $189 million initiative to modernize California’s correctional system has <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/13/opinion/gavin-newsom-delivers-porn-to-death-row-inmates">come under fire</a> following a bombshell investigation revealing that taxpayer-funded digital tablets are being used by death row inmates to access pornography and groom minors.
While the Newsom administration heralded the distribution of free tablets to every inmate in the state as a step toward “digital equity” and “rehabilitation,” serial killers and rapists inside the system say the devices have effectively become personal sex machines, City-Journal <a href="https://www.city-journal.org/article/death-row-porn-tablets-california">reported</a>.
The program, designed to provide “justice-impacted” individuals with access to educational content and family contact, has reportedly been hijacked by the state&#8217;s most dangerous offenders. In interviews with dozens of death row inmates, a disturbing pattern of lurid behavior has emerged, ranging from the exchange of lewd photos to live pornographic video chats.
Newsom&#8217;s office denied the claims, saying, &#8220;This is flat-out FALSE. This MAGA nonprofit provides ZERO evidence for its outrageous claims. Their &#8216;sources&#8217;? Convicted murderers and a random guy who doesn’t even live in California.&#8221;
The governors office claimed that &#8220;prison tablets DO NOT provide open internet access,&#8221; adding that the devices &#8220;are monitored, recorded, searchable, and investigated.&#8221;
Among those utilizing the technology is Robert Maury, the notorious &#8220;Tipster Killer&#8221; convicted of raping and strangling multiple women. Maury admitted in an interview that he has used his device to &#8220;flirt&#8221; and receive topless photos from women on the outside. He also detailed a common loophole where inmates use the video chat feature to have someone on the outside broadcast pornography onto a television, which the inmate then watches through the tablet’s camera.
“If you try hard enough, there is always a way around the system,” Maury said, noting that younger inmates who grew up with the internet are particularly adept at evading the state’s “bullsh*t” restrictions.
The abuse isn&#8217;t limited to viewing. Samuel Amador, another condemned serial killer, admitted to rotating between watching pornographic clips and family videos on his state-issued device. Even more alarming, Jamar Tucker — convicted of a triple homicide — revealed he uses the tablets to receive videos of women in thongs for sexual pleasure.
The most harrowing consequence of the program involves Nathaniel Ray Diaz, a convicted child predator. Prosecutors allege Diaz used his prison-issued tablet to contact and exploit a 12-year-old girl, allegedly forcing her to send explicit images and engaging in &#8220;thousands of calls&#8221; from inside Avenal State Prison.
Douglas Eckenrod, a former high-ranking California corrections official, warned that the Diaz case is just the &#8220;tip of the iceberg.&#8221; He expressed grave concerns that the lack of oversight on the 90,000 devices currently in circulation has created a &#8220;pathway&#8221; for predators to groom children.
&#8220;I would bet my pension that there’s a vast amount of childhood pornography on the tablets,&#8221; Eckenrod said.
The former high-ranking corrections official stated, &#8220;I would bet my pension that there’s a vast amount of childhood pornography on the tablets. There are probably several thousand [children] that are currently being groomed.&#8221;
Despite the mounting evidence of sexual misconduct and child exploitation, the Newsom administration is moving &#8220;full-speed ahead.&#8221; The current contract allows for extensions that could see taxpayer spending on the devices reach $315 million. While the Department of Corrections maintains the tablets are &#8220;tightly controlled,&#8221; the men on death row say the reality is a click away.

Bombshell Investigation Finds Death Row Inmates Hack Prison Tablets For Taxpayer-Funded Porn

Child pornography

Pornography

Prison

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Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum delivered a blistering rebuke of California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday, accusing Newsom of creating a self-inflicted energy crisis as he blames President Donald Trump for his state&#8217;s near-record high gas prices.
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Burgum&#8217;s comments follow months of escalations from Newsom, who has characterized the recent spike in fuel costs as “Donald Trump’s crisis.” Newsom argues that the president’s aggressive foreign policy and military actions in Iran have destabilized global oil markets, sending California’s prices to a staggering $6.15 per gallon this month.
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“California hasn&#8217;t changed anything as it relates to that cost,” Newsom <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XZ2fysBtJk">insisted</a>, claiming that state-level baseline costs have remained static. “The cost at the pump has been for one reason: Donald Trump&#8217;s recklessness as it relates to the war in Iran, period, full stop.” In March, Newsom <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/03/10/governor-newsom-blasts-trump-for-raising-gasoline-prices-on-americans-with-no-plan-and-no-accountability/">dismissed</a> Trump’s “Drill Baby Drill” mantra as a “lie to enrich Big Oil donors,” claiming that American families are paying $1.5 billion more at the pump weekly while corporations “cash in on Trump’s chaos.”
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Burgum took the governor to the woodshed, dismantling Newsom’s narrative by pointing to California’s specific policy choices. Burgum highlighted that California has intentionally isolated itself from the American energy grid, effectively becoming an “energy island.”
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“California is leading in highest energy prices, highest taxes, and out-migration,” Burgum stated. “They’ve blocked every pipeline, they block transmission lines &#8230; and then they’re complaining to this administration about their high energy prices.”
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Burgum noted a startling vulnerability in California’s infrastructure: the state is uniquely dependent on oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz. While the rest of the country has increased domestic energy security, California imports roughly 60% of its oil by ship. Burgum also pointed to the systematic dismantling of California’s refining capacity, noting the state has plummeted from 40 refineries to just six, while Texas continues to expand its capacity.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨 HOLY CRAP! Trump Interior Sec. Doug Burgum PUMMELS Gavin Newsom, exposing that California is the only American state to rely on Strait of Hormuz oil — and BLOCKED *every new pipeline*
Yet Gavin blames Donald Trump for his insane gas prices. PATHETIC.
BURGUM: &quot;California was… <a href="https://t.co/BtPXAjA6yi">pic.twitter.com/BtPXAjA6yi</a>
&mdash; Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2053927384940958192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Comparative data underscores the &#8220;California Premium.&#8221; While California gas prices hit $6.15 in May 2026, Texas remains significantly lower at $4.01, and even the leftist bastion of New York sits at $4.58, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/">AAA</a>. California’s lowest prices in 2025 were still higher than the highest prices in almost every other state.
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Ultimately, Burgum’s reality check exposes the governor’s rhetoric as a desperate attempt to deflect from decades of radical environmental mandates. While Newsom points fingers at the White House, the data suggests the &#8220;crisis&#8221; is a direct result of California&#8217;s own war on affordable energy.
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By strangling its own production and blocking the very pipelines that would provide relief, Newsom has ensured that Californians pay the highest price for his political agenda — leaving the state to suffer the consequences of a &#8220;condition they created for themselves.&#8221;
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Gavin Newsom/Doug Burgum

Newsom Blames Trump For California’s High Gas Prices. Burgum Takes Him To The Woodshed.

Donald Trump

Doug Burgum

Gas Prices

Gavin Newsom has, once again, found himself diaper-deep in someone else&#8217;s business.
The California governor, who is nearing the end of a gubernatorial tenure best described as a masterclass in managed decline, presided over rampant homelessness, a record exodus of residents, a near $30 billion budget deficit, a housing affordability crisis, dismal education scores, and a surge in violent crime. Now, rather than reckoning with any of that, he has taken to social media to unveil his newest meretricious title: Diaper Daddy. California&#8217;s unmasked Super Conman, able to leap tall budget deficits in a single bound to deliver diapers to all…while leaving actual human waste on the sidewalks entirely untouched.
The initiative itself is a pitch-perfect distillation of modern Democrat governance: announce something that sounds warmhearted, execute it at roughly three times the necessary cost, layer it in politically connected middlemen, waste everyone’s time and money, and call dissenters “heartless monsters.”
This time, however, the math raises more than an eyebrow. It raises the specter of fraud.
Newsom announced a pilot diaper program that will initially roll out at hospitals largely serving Medi-Cal patients before expanding statewide. This summer, the state is partnering with Baby2Baby, a California-based nonprofit, to give every newborn delivered at a participating California hospital 400 diapers at no cost to the family. Budget records show $7.4 million was allocated in the prior fiscal year (2025-2026) to launch the initiative, with an additional $12.5 million proposed for the 2026-2027 budget cycle, bringing the total commitment to roughly $19.9 million. This is all on top of the $45 billion California taxpayers already pour into Medi-Cal every year. But hey, the weather is unbeatable!
When people started doing the math, the flags went up fast. Divide $20 million by 100,000 babies, then divide that by 400 diapers each, and you arrive at $0.50 per diaper. The cheapest diapers on store shelves cost around $0.15 each. 
A FIFTEEN-CENT diaper for just FIFTY CENTS!? What a bargain.
Now, had the state simply handed parents the money to buy their own poo-catchers and let the free market do what the free market does, competition would have driven prices down further and quality up! The people would have won. Instead, the government decided it needed to get its hands into America&#8217;s smelliest supply chain, and turned a $0.15 product into a $0.50 one. Government efficiency, folks. On full display.
When pressed on the numbers, Newsom&#8217;s press office clarified that the diaper contract itself only costs $6.2 million, which works out to roughly $0.155 per diaper, still more than retail. But that admission quietly concedes the obvious question: where does the other $13 million go? The answer, according to the administration, is setup, hospital rollout, logistics, warehousing, and distribution, all of which are superfluous costs that would not exist if parents were allowed to keep their money and buy their own diapers in the first place. Diaper Daddy could focus on getting Drug Demons off the streets and clearing the actual feces off the sidewalks, but hey, at least he’s not giving taxpayer-funded diapers to drug addicts. Yet. 
Then there is the matter of who is running Baby2Baby. The nonprofit is led by Kelly Sawyer Patricof and Norah Weinstein. Weinstein also sits on the board of the California Partners Project, co-founded by her BFF Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the insufferable wife of Gavin Newsom, where they fundraise and promote for the trans, gender-confused intersex folk, and the women who are supposed victims of the nefarious patriarchal powers that be. Patricof, for her part, is married to Jamie Patricof, a Hollywood big-shot producer and longtime Democratic bundler with very deep ties to the party elites.
Straight <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlUKcNNmywk">Californicorruption</a>.
Here is the Democratic playbook, for those keeping score at home: announce a program that makes you look compassionate, overbill the taxpayer for something families could’ve handled themselves, insert a layer of politically connected middlemen, feed the bureaucratic boondoggles, and enrich oneself at the expense of the taxpayer.
The citizen funds the apparatus. The apparatus benefits the network. The network attends the fundraiser. Repeat! 
 
Gavin, most of us love babies and new life. We’d love to see more of it. Why don’t you do what President Donald Trump is doing and cut checks directly to parents of newborns, or partner with the Trump accounts to make savings vehicles more accessible to California families, so that newborns can be sitting on meaningful sums by the time they turn 18? Or, radically, just let taxpayers keep their money, buy whatever product they want, drive competition, keep the free market functioning, and deny corrupt bureaucrats the pleasure of rerouting public funds through nonprofits within their own orbit.
But no, that would be crazy. This is, after all, the same governor who spent hundreds of millions turning California into the West Coast&#8217;s premier abortion destination. Nothing says “pro-family” quite like subsidizing diapers for the babies you worked so hard to make rarer.
But perhaps there is some poetic justice here. This summer, every time a new parent wipes a stinky, smelly, loaded diaper, they’ll be reminded of Gavin Newsom — and exactly where their tax dollars went.

Baby2Baby x Golden State Start

Gavin Newsom’s Dirty Diaper Budget Debacle

DW Opinion

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The radical ideology of gender identity continues to hollow out the integrity of women’s athletics in the state of California, and tennis legend Martina Navratilova has seen enough.
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Over the weekend, high school preliminaries in Orange County became the latest theater of the absurd. AB Hernandez, a male competing as a senior for Jurupa Valley High School, <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/sport/othersports/article-15805153/Trans-athlete-sparks-protests-California-girls-track.html">dominated</a> the girls&#8217; field in the CIF Southern Section Division 3, seizing the triple jump title by several feet and clearing over 20 feet in the long jump — besting the nearest female competitor by more than a foot. Hernandez also tied for first in the high jump, repeating a pattern of dominance that has sparked fierce protests from athletes and parents alike, the Daily Mail reported.
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One year later. We’re still doing this. Weak adults who refuse to do the right thing. <a href="https://t.co/SSOabYBMNq">pic.twitter.com/SSOabYBMNq</a>
&mdash; XX-XY Athletics (@xx_xyathletics) <a href="https://twitter.com/xx_xyathletics/status/2053569060902744090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
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While the &#8220;Save Girls Sports&#8221; organization and frustrated families gathered at Yorba Linda High School to decry the erasure of female biological reality, the most stinging rebuke came from Navratilova. The 18-time Grand Slam champion, a harsh critic of President Donald Trump, still took aim at the leading Democratic candidate for the 2028 presidential nomination, torching California Governor Gavin Newsom for his refusal to protect female athletes and labeling the state-sanctioned charade as &#8220;cheating.&#8221;
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&#8220;Newsom could overturn this in a second. No excuse,&#8221; Navratilova <a href="https://www.dailymail.com/sport/othersports/article-15804005/martina-navratilova-gavin-newsom-california-track.html">wrote</a>, emphasizing that the governor has the executive authority to intervene but chooses instead to hide behind bureaucratic red tape. Responding to the news that Hernandez remains seeded at the top of upcoming tournaments, she added a caustic, &#8220;Thanks for nothing [Gavin Newsom].&#8221;
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Navratilova’s fury was echoed by fellow Olympic legends. Three-time gold medalist Nancy Hogshead blasted Newsom’s office for its &#8220;big fail&#8221; in legal and biological analysis. Hogshead noted that while Newsom’s camp pays lip service to &#8220;fairness, dignity, and respect,&#8221; it pointedly excludes biological girls from that standard.
&#8220;Females aren’t weakened males; males and females are built from different molds,&#8221; Hogshead stated, dismantling the &#8220;woke&#8221; notion that gender identity can override the material reality of bone density and muscle mass.
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A spokesman for Newsom attacked the governor&#8217;s critics after it was announced that a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/outkick-sports/newsom-office-source-responds-planned-protest-trans-athlete-state-playoff-girls-track-meet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Save Girls Sports” protest</a> would be held at the track meet.
“The Governor has said discussions on this issue should be guided by fairness, dignity, and respect. He rejects the right wing’s cynical attempt to weaponize this debate as an excuse to vilify individual kids,&#8221; the spokesman stated. &#8220;The Governor’s position is simple: stand with all kids and stand up to bullies.&#8221;
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This prompted Sophia Lorey of Save Girls Sports to fire back: &#8220;Shame on Governor Newsom for calling the girls behind me bullies&#8230; These girls are not bullies for defending fairness.&#8221;
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While Newsom remains ensconced in his progressive ivory tower, the federal government is taking notice. The Department of Justice has already filed suit against California agencies for Title IX violations, and the Department of Education has expanded its investigation into 17 other institutions.
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For Navratilova and those who still believe in the &#8220;unique biology of females,&#8221; the message to Sacramento is clear: biological reality isn&#8217;t a &#8220;right-wing weapon&#8221; — it&#8217;s a fact, and ignoring it is nothing short of state-sponsored cheating.
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The Championships – Wimbledon 2025.

Tennis Legend Bashes Newsom As Trans-Identifying Boy Dominates High School Girls

High school sports

Martina Navratilova

Transgender

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announced his plan to make California the first state to provide &#8220;free diapers&#8221; to newborns leaving the hospital — funneling the money for the program through a nonprofit headed by a friend of California&#8217;s self-described &#8220;First Partner.&#8221;
Baby2Baby co-CEO Norah Weinstein sits on the board of Jennifer Siebel Newsom&#8217;s group &#8220;California Partners Project&#8221; — and it&#8217;s Baby2Baby that will take point on the $20 million diaper project, which is supposed to provide every family leaving the hospital with a newborn with 400 diapers.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 JUST IN: California Gov. Gavin Newsom conveniently announces $20 MILLION in taxpayer dollars will flow to an organization connected to his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom
&#8220;Free diapers&#8221; will be handed out to newborns through the group Baby2Baby — a co-CEO of which is Norah… <a href="https://t.co/QlWdemZq5Z">pic.twitter.com/QlWdemZq5Z</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2052813662058877054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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As The Media Research Center&#8217;s Brittany Hughes pointed out, 400 diapers sounds like a lot until you experience life with a newborn.
&#8220;400 diapers will last a family with a newborn approximately five weeks,&#8221; Hughes <a href="https://x.com/realbritthughes/status/2052795517940191634?s=46">pointed out</a>. And although five weeks without needing to buy diapers would certainly help some families, what is the actual cost?
&#8220;The program will cost the state approx $12.4 million this year alone,&#8221; Hughes added. &#8220;That money will be funneled through a company called Baby2Baby, which will then provide their branded diapers to 400 participating in hospitals (California has over 500 hospitals in total.) Meaning that instead of lowering taxes and letting families keep their own money to buy essentials like diapers, California takes their money, pumps it through a &#8216;nonprofit&#8217; that has overhead and whose CEO made $240,000 in 2024, to provide a &#8216;free&#8217; service available only in certain locations, and that you could have bought yourself for much cheaper.&#8221;
The &#8220;free diaper&#8221; project is far from the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/27/us-news/jennifer-siebel-newsom-making-big-money-from-nonprofit-sources/">first time</a> that California&#8217;s &#8220;First Partner&#8221; has profited from her husband&#8217;s political position. As The New York Post reported in late August, 2025, Jennifer Siebel Newsom received donations through her Representation Project nonprofit  — which promotes radical gender ideology — from companies that lobbied Governor Newsom&#8217;s administration.
She also controls Girls Club Entertainment LLC, a for-profit film company, that pulled in $150,000 from the Representation Project in 2024.
The Representation Project also hosts an annual gala titled &#8220;Flip the Script,&#8221; and among the attendees are often at least a handful of high-dollar donors to Gavin Newsom&#8217;s political ambitions.
&#8220;These types of connections certainly appear unseemly and raise some serious red flags,&#8221; Michael Chamberlain, director of Protect the Public’s Trust, told The Post at the time.

Baby and diapers

The Controversial Connection Between Newsom’s ‘Free Diapers’ Plan And His Wife

baby

Jennifer Newsom

Politics

President Donald Trump tore into comedian and HBO host Bill Maher late on Saturday, delivering a blistering review of Maher&#8217;s recent interview featuring Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA).
Trump made his thoughts on the matter abundantly clear in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116507513607934090">Truth Social post</a>, trashing both Newsom and Maher before concluding that the latter, whom he dubbed a &#8220;moron&#8221; was still &#8220;slightly more talented than Jimmy Kimmel.&#8221;
&#8220;I hate seeing Fox, and other Conservative Outlets, constantly making Low Rated Bill Maher &#8216;relevant&#8217; as it pertains to the Republican Party, and beyond,&#8221; Trump began his pos with a complain about the number of people, even on the conservative side of the aisle, who appeared to take Maher seriously. &#8220;Bill Maher is a weak and ineffective person who I got to know very well during my dinner with him at the White House.&#8221;
&#8220;He was nervous, scared, and the first words he uttered as he entered the Oval Office were, &#8216;Can I have a drink?&#8217; It was very endearing but, at the same time, absolutely pathetic,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;He was much different from what people think.&#8221;
Trump went on to say that he&#8217;d taken the time to watch some of Newsom&#8217;s interview on Maher&#8217;s show — an interview in which Maher had repeatedly pressed Newsom, albeit in a friendly manner, about the California policies that most Americans might see as abject failures.
&#8220;Last night, I happened to watch Gavin Newscum, an admittedly Low IQ person, who said he can’t read a speech, is dumb, and essentially, incompetent, and he took Bill Maher &#8216;over the coals,'&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Bill Maher was defenseless, and totally deficient. Either he didn’t have the knowledge, or he choked, because Gavin went on and on about how good California is doing, while it’s doing very poorly, having, by far, the worst year it’s ever had where, for the first time in History, more people are leaving than coming. Bill Maher started by saying that California was doing poorly, only to have Newscum speak for an extended period of time, and lie about the facts.&#8221;
&#8220;All you have to do is look at what’s happened to Los Angeles, San Francisco, the horrendous homeless problem all over every street, the Railway catastrophe that is Billions of Dollars over budget, and has never been built, the inability to rebuild the 25,000 homes that were destroyed by the fire because he refused to allow water into the street from the Southwest (If it weren’t for our Superstar EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, and me, they wouldn’t have any homes being built right now!),&#8221; Trump continued.
The president&#8217;s conclusion was simple: &#8220;Fox should stop putting this person on. He’s not representing us. You look weak, stupid, and ineffective, and I hate seeing that. DON’T USE BILL MAHER ANY LONGER AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF YOU! I hate hearing that &#8216;Bill Maher said …&#8217; — Bill Maher is a MORON, though slightly more talented than Jimmy Kimmel.&#8221;
Trump has also been at war with Kimmel in recent weeks, calling on ABC to fire the late night comedian over a line directed at First Lady Melania Trump stating that she had &#8220;the glow of an expectant widow.&#8221;
The &#8220;joke&#8221; angered the president and Melania, particularly since it came just 48 hours before yet another assassination attempt against Trump at the White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner — but Kimmel has insisted that it was only meant to be a jab at the dramatic age difference between the pair.

Bill Maher

Trump Trashes Bill Maher In Scathing Review Of Newsom Interview

Media

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher pulled no punches in an interview with Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), grilling him about his recent Trump-like behavior and the billion-dollar black hole that is California&#8217;s proposed high-speed rail system.
Maher spoke to the California politician — who is term-limited out of his current office and widely expected to run for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination — and pressed him on his record in The Golden State.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 NEW: Bill Maher GRILLS Gavin Newsom over his biggest failures in blistering interview:
MAHER: “The other side, what they are going to say though is, but have you seen the stats from California?”
NEWSOM: “Good! One of the largest economies. Let’s go!”
MAHER: “Well… are they… <a href="https://t.co/hS0fr3IFe7">pic.twitter.com/hS0fr3IFe7</a>
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TVNewsNow/status/2050524436097360144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Maher began by warning Newsom that as soon as he officially threw his hat into the presidential ring, Republicans would be begging to discuss his tenure as California governor.
&#8220;The other side, what they are going to say though is, but have you seen the stats from California?” Maher pointed out.
Newsom did not appear to be bothered by the prospect, firing back, &#8220;Good! Fourth largest economy. Let’s go!&#8221;
&#8220;Well … are they going to say good about gas prices?” he replied. “Are they going to say good about how high their rents are? So many people live … I mean there’s a whole litany,&#8221; Maher cautioned before bringing up the train. &#8220;I mean the train! Gavin, you got to get rid of the train! I say this as a friend, you got to let that train go! Let the train go. It’s up to $231 billion.&#8221;
Newsom pushed back, claiming that he&#8217;d inherited the problem from previous administrations and blaming &#8220;legal challenges&#8221; and environmental concerns for the delays and added costs. He went on to say that the project was finally making progress and laying the first tracks. The <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/fox-news-politics/california-high-speed-rail-project-soars-231b-worst-public-infrastructure-failure-us-history">project</a> was initially funded in 2008 and should have been completed by 2020 at a cost of $33-45 billion. The cost has since ballooned to $231 billion and the project&#8217;s first phase may not see completion until 2032.
<a href="https://x.com/overton_news/status/2050409805798388001">In addition</a> to the rail project, Maher jabbed at Newsom over recent behavior he said mimicked that of President Donald Trump.
&#8220;Many people would say that you are imitating him,&#8221; Maher said, referencing legal threats Newsom recently made against Fox News.
“Fox better look to settle right now or apologize for defamation,” Newsom replied.
&#8220;Okay, but that sounds exactly like what he does. Suing media?&#8221; Maher pressed again.
&#8220;Well, don’t defame, don’t lie,&#8221; Newsom said.
&#8220;Okay, again! But that does sound like him!&#8221; Maher said again.

Bill Maher Corners Gavin Newsom Over High-Speed Rail Disaster: ‘Let The Train Go’

Bill Maher Corners Gavin Newsom Over High-Speed Rail Disaster: 'Let The Train Go'

The top Democrats running for California governor said they would not suspend the 61.2-cent gas tax, despite the Golden State consistently having one of the highest gas price averages in the nation.
Billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer, former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), and former Biden-era Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra each oppose scrapping the tax, they explained during a CBS California debate on Tuesday night. The average price of gas in California is $5.98 a gallon as of Wednesday, according to <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AAA</a>.
Becerra said he’s “not in favor of cutting the gas tax” and cited infrastructure funding concerns. Just days prior, the Democrat blamed Trump for the pain at the pump, even though the Biden administration also faced sharp criticism for expensive gas prices.
“Let’s make sure Donald Trump is not starting reckless wars to keep the prices of gasoline down. By up to $2 a gallon, we could reduce the price if that war in Iraq that Donald Trump started would go away,” Becerra said during the Nexstar Media Group debate last week, mistakenly referring to Operation Epic Fury in Iran as a conflict in Iraq.
During a lightning round question-and-answer session during the CBS debate, Porter simply said “no” to a suspension, and Steyer said he “wants a windfall profits tax on the oil companies.&#8221; Steyer did not follow the CBS moderator&#8217;s directions by answering either &#8220;yes or no,&#8221; but confirmed shortly after his &#8220;windfall&#8221; pitch that he is against a suspension of the tax.
Steyer echoed his stance during a Nexstar Media Group debate last week, and he also blamed the president.
“Let me say that the reason gasoline is so expensive that our president, Donald Trump, has started an insane war in Iran and driven up the cost of gasoline for everyone in California,” the Democrat said during the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKIUJua6iCI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nexstar debate</a>. “That has put $70 billion into the pockets of the oil companies who actually put him in the presidency.”
Both Republicans in the race, former Fox News host Steve Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, said they were in favor of suspending the tax.
Two non-leading Democrats also said they would give Californians some relief at the gas pump. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a Newsom critic and Democrat, said he would “suspend then reform the gas tax,” and he called it “the most regressive tax in California.”
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, a Democrat struggling in the polls, said he is a “yes” on suspending the tax.
The Golden State’s June 2 primary blew wide open earlier this month with the exit of Democratic frontrunner Eric Swalwell, who dropped out of the race and resigned from Congress after multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Newsom has yet to endorse a candidate, whereas Hilton was endorsed by President Donald Trump.
A recent Emerson College <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/governor/general/2026/california/open_primary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> showed Hilton in first place, with Bianco and Steyer tied for the second-place spot, which still leaves a narrow possibility of a Republican lockout in the contest.

Xavier Becerra

Top Democrats Could Instantly Lower Gas Prices. They Refuse To Do It.

Katie Porter

Tom Steyer

A doctor asked the Supreme Court to intervene in her battle against woke California medical education requirements she says stifle her free speech.
Dr. Azadeh Khatibi and the medical watchdog organization Do No Harm filed a <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/1032366223/Khatibi-Pet-for-Cert-1?_gl=1*158e1y2*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTg1NjQ4MTE0NS4xNzc3Mzg2MDE2*_ga_Z4ZC50DED6*czE3NzczODYwMTUkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzczODYwMTckajU4JGwwJGgw*_ga_8KZ8BV0P5W*czE3NzczODYwMTUkbzEkZzEkdDE3NzczODYwMTckajU4JGwwJGgw">petition</a> on Tuesday asking the Supreme Court to take up a case challenging continuing medical education requirements that mandate instructors teach doctors about “implicit bias,” which is the claim that a person can unconsciously discriminate against another. Khatibi argues that the requirements, which were signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, force medical professionals to push politically charged ideas.
“By mandating ideologically charged racial theories be taught in continuing medical education courses, California infringes on physicians’ free speech rights,” Do No Harm Chair Stanley Goldfarb told The Daily Wire. “We are asking the Supreme Court to intervene to protect these critical rights in the field of medicine. Doctors do not need lawmakers telling them what to think when providing medical advice to patients.”
The petition filed Tuesday wants the court to address the question of whether a state can “compel private professionals to convey a contested ideological message as a condition of teaching courses required for a professional license.” Khatibi and Do No Harm are both represented by the Pacific Legal Foundation.
The requirements being challenged say that those giving continuing medical education must give examples of “how implicit bias affects perceptions and treatment decisions of physicians and surgeons, leading to disparities in health outcomes,” or suggest strategies to address how “unintended biases in decision-making may contribute to health care disparities by shaping behavior and producing differences in medical treatment.”
Previous attempts to challenge the requirement at the federal district and appeals court levels have been unsuccessful. Those courts have said the requirements are part of the state’s prerogative to regulate medical practice.
The petition filed with the Supreme Court argues that the implicit bias mandate exceeds the state’s regulatory power.
“That sweeping ruling erases the constitutional boundary between government and private speech, threatens the speech rights of countless professionals, and directly conflicts with this Court’s precedents limiting the government speech doctrine and protecting against compelled speech,” the petition said.
Goldfarb said that there is no evidence of implicit bias in health care and that doctors should be trained to address each patient’s unique needs rather than focusing on race.
“There is no evidence so-called systemic implicit bias exists in health care, and propagating such debunked pseudoscience only deepens suspicion between patients and providers,” he said. “We urge the Court to take up our case and resolve California’s overreach once and for all.”

Governor Gavin Newsom in Hayward, California

Government Forcing Ideology Into Medicine Vs. Doctors’ Right To Think And Speak Freely

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Former Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) sparked backlash with a profanity-laced campaign-fundraising email sent just over 24 hours after a third assassination attempt was made on President Donald Trump.
The email in question was sent on Monday night — less than two days after would-be assassin Cole Tomas Allen charged a Secret Service security checkpoint and opened fire at the Washington Hilton, where thousands were gathered for the annual White House Correspondents&#8217; Dinner.
The email’s subject line was simply “F*** Trump,” and it encouraged people to read the Democrat’s speech from the California Democratic Party’s convention and “then make a donation to Katie’s campaign for governor.” At the bottom of the email, it asked specifically for $5 to help Porter achieve her gubernatorial aspirations.
“Say it with me. Ready, 1 … 2 … 3 … F*** Trump,” the email stated, referring back to her remarks.
“Yeah, that’s right, F*** Trump. Together, we’re going to kick Trump’s ass in November and stop him in his tracks,” Porter added.
“I’ll stand up to Trump and his cronies again and again, just as I did in Congress — with or without my whiteboard. But this election for Governor is about far more than defeating Trump,” her speech continued.
The California Democrat made no posts to Facebook or X condemning the shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on Saturday night, even as information came out indicating that the alleged shooter was intentionally trying to target the president and other administration officials.
The Daily Wire obtained and reviewed the email that came from LeftNet, which describes itself as “an online political network fighting for progressive causes and candidates focused on social, racial, economic, and environmental justice.”
Conservative writer <a href="https://x.com/bethanyshondark/status/2048902821244731404?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bethany Mandel</a> called out the email on X, writing in a now-viral post to “imagine Barack Obama surviving three assassination attempts and 18 hours later, a Republican sent a fundraising email like this.”
“It takes a lot to shock me. But this truly is shocking,” Kari Lake, who helps lead the United States Agency for Global Media, wrote in response.
“The Democrat party is unhinged,” Texas state Rep. Daniel Alders wrote.
Porter is in a hotly competitive race to be Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) successor, with her position recently bolstered as former Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/eric-swalwell-suspends-campaign-amid-sexual-assault-allegations">exited the race</a> due to sexual misconduct allegations.
Many polls for the top-two June 2 primary show Republican Steve Hilton leading, with billionaire climate activist Tom Steyer as the highest polling Democrat. However, Porter is not far behind in the packed field, according to <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/governor/general/2026/california/open_primary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RealClearPolling</a>.
Porter’s campaign has faced multiple controversies, including an explosive interview with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR4SRUWANjI&amp;t=822s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News California</a> that led to questions about her temperament to serve as governor. In addition, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/08/katie-porter-tears-into-staffer-new-video-00598942" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a> reported that she was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-episode-drops-in-katie-porter-drama-staffer-takes-verbal-abuse-for-being-in-my-shot">caught on video</a> in 2021 telling one of her staffers to “Get out of my f***ing shot!”

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READ IT: Dem’s Profanity-Laced Fundraising E-mail Sent After Assassin Targeted Trump

2026 election

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a fundraising email shortly after former Rep. Eric Swalwell&#8217;s (D-CA) resignation amid sexual misconduct allegations, including rape accusations, using the vacancy to urge donors to help Democrats quickly reclaim the seat.
&#8220;With a very slim Republican majority in Congress, I was not going to give Mike Johnson even a single extra day before filling this seat,” Newsom wrote in the email, which was sent by his Campaign for Democracy PAC, according to <a href="https://x.com/jamesd0wns/status/2044510404596924828?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Journal</a>.
Swalwell stepped down Tuesday as multiple investigations were launched into the allegations. He is now under investigation by the Justice Department, the Manhattan District Attorney, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department. No charges have been filed against the Democrat, but the disturbing claims led to his resignation from Congress and exit from the California governor&#8217;s race.
At a Tuesday press conference, model Lonna Drewes accused Swalwell of raping her during an alleged 2018 encounter.
“He raped me, and he choked me. And while he was choking me, I lost consciousness,” Drewes said. “And I thought I died. I did not consent to any sexual activity.”
At least one other woman has claimed that Swalwell raped her. Others alleged that the Democrat sent them inappropriate messages over Snapchat, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/10/us/eric-swalwell-sexual-misconduct-allegations-invs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> reported.
Despite the nature of the allegations, Newsom&#8217;s email did not address them directly, instead focusing on the political stakes of the vacancy and the narrow Republican majority in the House.
The message concluded with a fundraising appeal from Newsom&#8217;s political action committee, asking recipients to donate $35.
Newsom has said the special election, scheduled for August 18, is the earliest date allowed under state law.
Republicans criticized the move, arguing Newsom has not shown the same urgency in similar situations.
Besides rape accusations, others alleged that the Democrat sent them inappropriate messages over Snapchat, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/04/10/us/eric-swalwell-sexual-misconduct-allegations-invs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a> reported.
The timing has drawn criticism from Republicans, who argue Newsom has not applied the same urgency in similar situations.
The Daily Wire previously reported that Newsom scheduled a special election for the late to fill the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa&#8217;s (R-CA) right-leaning seat months after his death earlier this year. In another case, the seat of former Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) remained vacant for nearly a year following his 2020 resignation. can Hunter (R-CA) was left vacant for nearly a year following his resignation in 2020.
“It’s another example of how Gavin Newsom, he doesn’t care about stripping people of their voice and their representation as long as it politically benefits him,” state Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-CA) told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-accused-of-running-the-clock-differently-depending-on-who-it-helps?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Newsom+Accused+Of+Running+The+Clock+Differently+Depending+On+Who+It+Helps" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>.
Republicans currently hold a narrow 218-213 majority in the House, raising the stakes for quickly filling vacant seats.
The Daily Wire reached out to the Newsom’s PAC and office for comment.

Following Rape Accusations Against Swalwell, Newsom Fundraises Off His Ouster

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