If there’s one thing California’s leadership excels at, it’s proving that there’s no limit to how far you can mismanage a state when you’ve got a one-party supermajority, a blank check from D.C., and the arrogance to think you’re untouchable. That was the unmistakable vibe as President Donald Trump landed in Los Angeles to survey wildfire damage, offering a scathing critique of Governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of the state’s many crises—from wildfires to homelessness and everything in between.
Let’s talk about those wildfires. Trump has long criticized California for its forest mismanagement, and frankly, it’s hard to argue with him when the evidence is literally going up in flames. Tens of thousands were forced to flee their homes earlier this month, and yet Newsom still insists the real problem is climate change—not his administration’s refusal to adopt proven forest management practices, including controlled burns and water resource improvements.
🚨 Donald Trump has just landed in L.A. He was greeted on the tarmac by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Notice how Newscum tries to play the alpha male by not letting go of President Trump’s hand. pic.twitter.com/5ot4LR1TOF
— Colton Blake 🇺🇸 (@ColtonBlakeX) January 24, 2025
Trump wasted no time pointing this out during his sit-down with Sean Hannity, bluntly saying, “He looked like an idiot” when trying to defend his policies. Ouch. But can you really argue with the man? Even Mel Gibson—yes, that Mel Gibson—called out California officials for their “monumental mismanagement.” When celebrities are siding with Trump over their own governor, you know it’s bad.
🚨 WTF? The LA government is forcing fire victims to sit in line for over FIVE HOURS to be given a “pass” to visit their homes
This is insane.
Trump called out Mayor Bass for this, and she LIED saying it wasn’t happening.
LET THEM IN, MAYOR BASS! pic.twitter.com/K3OhmVTil5
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 28, 2025
And let’s not forget the unforgettable moment when Melania Trump, ever the picture of grace, joined the president during his walk through a devastated neighborhood. Cameras caught her comforting a family whose home had been reduced to ash, offering words of hope and solace. And get this, it wasn’t even in her native language. Fun fact: Melania can speak 6 different languages!
Imagine the media frenzy if it was a Democrat First Lady who spoke in Serbo-Croat to someone she met on a Los Angeles street, as Melania Trump does here. It’s not even her native language. pic.twitter.com/4LqhWYHwsl
— Mark Higgie (@MarkHiggie1) January 25, 2025
It was a stark contrast to the bureaucratic platitudes coming from Sacramento, where Newsom spent more time patting himself on the back for his $2.5 billion relief package than addressing the systemic failures that caused this disaster in the first place. By the way, that package? He’s already counting on federal taxpayers to foot the bill. Convenient, isn’t it?
This is the same governor, mind you, who couldn’t account for $24 billion—yes, billion—with a B—in taxpayer funds meant to tackle homelessness. That’s on top of the $113 billion (and counting) for the so-called “train to nowhere,” a project so mismanaged it now costs triple its original budget while delivering a fraction of what was promised. At this rate, it’s no wonder Californians are fleeing the state in droves, heading to places like Texas and Florida where leadership still means something.
Of course, Newsom’s defenders are quick to shift blame, accusing Trump and Republicans of playing politics. But here’s the thing: when millions are burning through state dollars (or literally burning), accountability isn’t politics—it’s common sense. And Newsom’s track record of dodging responsibility speaks volumes. Whether it’s wildfires, homelessness, crime, or fraud during the pandemic (remember that $11 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims?), California’s problems seem to multiply under his watch.
Yet here he is, wagging his finger at Prop 36, a measure aimed at undoing some of California’s most disastrous “soft-on-crime” policies. Newsom opposes the rollback because, in his words, it “takes us back to mass incarceration.” Meanwhile, businesses are boarding up their windows; neighborhoods are plagued by smash-and-grab thefts, and drug-fueled chaos spills into the streets—all courtesy of laws like Prop 47, which downgraded theft under $950 to a misdemeanor. But sure, let’s not hold anyone accountable. That’s the California way, right?
So, while Newsom poses for cameras and talks about “reimagining” California’s future, Trump gets to the heart of the matter. California’s problems aren’t the result of bad luck or external forces—they’re the direct consequence of failed leadership. If Newsom spent as much time fixing the state as he does blaming Republicans, maybe California wouldn’t be circling the drain. Until then, we’ll keep seeing moments like the one on the tarmac, where Newsom is reduced to begging Trump for help while still refusing to own up to his failures.
