California Governor Gavin Newsom has once again proven that he’s more committed to scoring clout on social media than solving real problems on the ground—and it’s becoming painfully obvious.
On Sunday night, as parts of Los Angeles burned and rioters waved foreign flags while assaulting law enforcement, Newsom didn’t rush to protect his citizens or coordinate with law enforcement. No, he jumped at the opportunity to pick a public fight with the so-called “border czar,” Tom Homan, after Homan stated what should be self-evident in any functioning country: no one is above the law, including governors and mayors.
Homan’s actual comments—made during an MSNBC interview—were clear and rooted in legal principle: “It’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement from doing their job.” That’s the law. Plain and simple. Yet Newsom twisted those words into a political stunt, daring Homan to “arrest me,” all while posturing about how much he “cares” for the community.
The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor.
This is a day I hoped I would never see in America.
I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward… pic.twitter.com/tsTX1nrHAu
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 9, 2025
But what kind of leader watches their city unravel in real-time and then decides that is the moment to pick a performative fight on national TV?
President Trump, for his part, dismissed the grandstanding for what it was. In a moment that was half chuckle, half critique, Trump replied, “I would do it if I was Tom… Gavin will like the publicity.”
And then, pivoting to substance, he delivered the kind of criticism Newsom richly deserves: “He’s a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent.” The evidence? California’s infamous high-speed rail debacle, which has ballooned into a budgetary black hole—overspending, under-delivering, and still nowhere near completion.
And Newsom? Right on cue, he took to X (formerly Twitter) with an indignant, pearl-clutching screed about “authoritarianism.” That’s right—he accused Trump of leading America into dictatorship for… sarcastically suggesting that Newsom’s bluff might be called.
Meanwhile, the reality in Los Angeles couldn’t be clearer. Law enforcement was overwhelmed. Rioters continued unchecked. And instead of working to restore order, Newsom chose the spotlight. Again.
