Gavin Newsom mocked as he calls out 'California bashers' and boasts about 'weird and free-spirited' state

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In his recent State of the State address, California Governor Gavin Newsom staunchly defended the state's character, describing it as "weird, wild, free-spirited" despite its significant debt.

This speech, delivered as a prerecorded message via social media, marked a notable shift from traditional live addresses and came at a time when Newsom is preparing to support President Joe Biden in the upcoming debate against Donald Trump in Atlanta.

Boosting Biden and touting California's achievements

Newsom's address served a dual purpose: it was a passionate defense of California and a strategic boost for Biden's campaign.

He harshly criticized what he termed "delusional California bashers" and drew a stark comparison between Trump's Republican Party and the rise of fascism before World War II, presenting Democratic ideals as a necessary "antidote to the poisonous populism of the right."

Although he did not mention Trump or Biden by name, he referenced the former's controversial remarks about immigrants to underscore the rhetoric coming from the right. "When they speak of immigrants poisoning American blood, and of mass deportations and detention camps, this is the language of destruction - of 1939," Newsom said.

Throughout his speech, Newsom highlighted California's ability to produce diverse leaders and cultural icons, from Ronald Reagan to Jerry Brown, and musicians ranging from Metallica to Kendrick Lamar. He also celebrated the state's contribution to popular culture, such as the film 'Barbie.'

The decision to prerecord the address and disseminate it via social media was seen as a departure from tradition, where previous governors, since Earl Warren's time, delivered live speeches to the Legislature. This move sparked criticism from Republicans, who held their rebuttal on the steps of the state Capitol shortly after the speech was posted.

James Gallagher, the Republican leader of the state Assembly, labeled Newsom's approach as "defensive" and "unhinged," accusing him of being out of touch with the struggles of ordinary Californians.

"To sit here and talk about venture capitalists when the majority of Californians are struggling, to me, is tone deaf," Gallagher said. "It was not a real addressing of the problems that Californians are facing."

Addressing criticism and highlighting accomplishments

Newsom's speech did not shy away from the challenges facing California. He acknowledged the state's $46.8 billion budget deficit, high tax rates, and major homeless population, but he countered these points by highlighting the state's successes.

He insisted that California's violent crime rate is about half of what it was in 1992 and that property crime in San Francisco and Oakland has decreased.

"This is because, in California, we take public safety seriously. We take it as a problem to solve, not just to flog on cable news," he said. "While it´s true that California has among the toughest felony theft thresholds in the nation, we will do more to go after professional theft rings more forcefully."

On the issue of homelessness, Newsom detailed the state's efforts under his administration, including the allocation of billions of dollars to create housing programs that have provided shelter for over 71,000 people.

Despite these efforts, he acknowledged the critique from a state audit that pointed out the lack of tracking on the effectiveness of these expenditures.

Newsom defended his decision to raise the minimum wage for fast food workers to $20 an hour, a move criticized by businesses for increasing customer costs. He also touted California's robust economy, which would be the fifth largest in the world if it were an independent country.

He pointed to the addition of 63,000 new millionaires since 2019 and the presence of major companies like Apple, Nvidia, and the parent companies of Google and Facebook in California as evidence of the state's success.

"Here is a simple question for Republicans: If California is a failed state, why are four of the seven most valuable companies in the world based here?" he said. "The best minds in the world call California home because they´re liberated from the constraints of conformity and tradition. This is true freedom - to invent and make the world a better place."

A recent survey by the Public Policy Institute of California showed that 59% of likely voters believe California is headed in the wrong direction, and 52% disapprove of Newsom's performance as governor, the Daily Mail reported.

Newsom trolled on social media

Newsom's speech also drew quite a backlash on social media, with many mocking the governor and accusing him of being out of touch.

"Hahahaha. He’s so out of touch. All he needs to do is look in the mirror," one posted on X.

"Yeah, it's got nothing to do with Greasy Gavin spending $11 billion on 0.3 miles of high-speed rail track in California, or spending $24 billion on 'solving homelessness,' or piloting a program to tax homeowners for capital gains even though they aren't selling their homes," another wrote.

"Gavin Newsom and the Democrats have had control over California for more than 20 years. Gavin Newsom should blame himself and his party for making California the s---hole that it is," someone else alleged.

"People look to California to see what not to become!" a comment read.

"Zero people look to California to see what's possible. *unless you're talking about homelessness and poop everywhere," another quipped.

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