Victor Davis Hanson: Newsom’s Redistricting Ploy Makes a ‘Jigsaw Puzzle Look Proportional’

California’s Prop 50 could completely erase Republican representation in elections. The measure would hand Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration the power to redraw California’s congressional districts. Supporters say the measure simply mirrors what Texas has done to strengthen Republican representation, but Hanson argues this is a blatantly partisan effort to cement Democrat control and eliminate what little Republican representation remains in California. He breaks it down on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In a Few Words.” “Gavin Newsom, moreover, when he's been asked about that, he says that he wants to punch these people. I guess he was referring to Republicans in general or the Texas Republicans in particular. He wants to ‘punch them in the mouth.’ He said he wants to punch Donald Trump in the mouth. The rhetoric is heating up but will Proposition 50 pass in a state that is 60%, in most elections, voting toward the Left or for Democrats? It probably will. And we in California who are on the conservative side will go from 17% representation—not 40%, of which reflects our actual numbers, but 17%—now to about 9% after Proposition 50 passes.”

“This is the END of Gavin Newsom — Victor Davis Hanson Explains Why”

Victor Davis Hanson unloads. No one—not even Biden—has wrecked more in plain sight than Gavin Newsom. Thirty-two years in power. Thirty-two years of smug incompetence. And now California—once the envy of the world—is a dystopian blueprint for national collapse. High taxes. Skyrocketing gas prices. Collapsing infrastructure. Fires, crime, exodus. Newsom smiles for the camera while refineries flee, power bills explode, and families pack up for Texas. He shuts down your business, then dines maskless at French Laundry. "You took paradise, and made it purgatory." Hanson exposes the real Gavin—a nepo puppet propped up by Getty oil money, drenched in hypocrisy, and prepping for a presidential run. But the legacy is clear: a failed state, burned by arrogance, and hollowed out by ideology. This isn’t just California’s story—it’s America’s warning.

Gavin Newsom and His Cruel Notion of ‘Cruel’ Misleading the people.

Misleading the people.

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Recently, Gov. Newsom weighed in on the Trump administration’s efforts to undo the last four years of border destruction, when an estimated 10-12 million illegal aliens entered the U.S. unlawfully—among them thousands with criminal records.

Of the recent Los Angeles efforts by ICE to detain those who entered and reside here illegally, the governor proclaimed:

Continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota are as reckless as they are cruel. Donald Trump’s chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America’s economy.”

Dissecting that statement, almost everything Newsom said was either not factual or misleading.

Chaotic?” What is chaotic is allowing 12 million unaudited migrants into the U.S. ahead of those waiting years for background checks and legal permission.

The correct antidote to a truly chaotic, nonexistent border was to bring some legality and order back to immigration—and not to perpetuate a wild-west border, drug smuggling, cartel profiteering, and child trafficking and abandonment, which were the Biden-era norms.

Chaotic 1,000 rioters in Southern California swarming ICE officers, endangering their safety and lives—and then being contextualized, excused, or even supported by the governor of the state, who supposedly is an upholder of our laws and their enforcement.

Each time Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom side with violent protests and the intimidation of ICE officers, the greater the chance that an officer will be seriously injured or killed—and the violence will spike. Apparently, both think they are riding a wave of public support, when in fact the latest CBS poll found 54 percent of Americans support such deportations.

California’s elected officials seem clueless that the optics of illegal immigrants torching autos, attacking law enforcement, or pelting bystanders, while waving Mexican flags, are terrible. What is the logic of waving the flag of the country to which one is violently opposed to returning, while assaulting the officers and infrastructure of the very nation in which one is demanding to remain?

Arbitrary arrest quota?” Consider the math. In just four years, Biden allowed between 10–12 million illegal entries, or 2.5–3 million a year, or somewhere between 200,000–300,000 per month, or between 7,000–8,300 a day.

Trying to find, audit, and deport even 10–20 percent of that daily figure, or 800–2000 a day over four years, is not an “arbitrary arrest quota.”

It is instead a formidable but often vain effort to return illegal immigration numbers to where they were before Biden’s systemic lawlessness.

In other words, with the current level of deportations, ICE cannot possibly reduce the population of illegal aliens back to the pre-Biden range of 10–12 million resident illegal aliens before the additional and contrived 10–12 million four-year influx.

In Newsom’s world, how many millions breaking the law and swarming the border is acceptable? Ten, twelve, or twenty million?

“Reckless?” What is reckless is destroying the southern border. Recklessness is also allowing an unchecked amount of cartel fentanyl, disguised as prescription or less toxic illicit drugs, to kill 70,000–100,000 Americans per year.

Reckless is empowering the cartels with lucrative trafficking fees for facilitating illegal immigration across a destroyed border.

Reckless is drumming out of the military 8,500 American soldiers who balked at the experimental mRNA vaccine while allowing more than 10 million illegal aliens to flood the border without any medical or inoculation scrutiny.

Reckless is demanding 2–3 forms of independent ID from U.S. citizens to qualify for the required “real ID” to fly, while allowing tens of thousands of illegal aliens to be exempt from even rudimentary identification.

Reckless is a governor leveling the highest income tax rates in the U.S., the highest gas taxes, and among the highest aggregate sales taxes, and still ending up with annual multibillion-dollar deficits.

Reckless is driving 200,000–300,000 middle-class taxpayers out of the state every year, who cannot afford sky-high California prices and receive so little service in return for such high state taxes.

Cruel?” Cruel is overtaxing state social service facilities with hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals, whose sheer numbers imperil the health care of California’s own beleaguered citizen population.

As far as ‘cruel’ governance, perhaps it can be defined as having the highest gas prices in the nation while sitting atop some of the largest gas and oil reserves in the country. Cruel is watching poor people in Fresno or Tulare County buy gas in increments of $30 in cash rather than filling up their pickups at a prohibitive cost of $130.

Cruel is the California high-speed rail boondoggle that has wasted nearly $30 billion without a single foot of track rail installed and may well be abandoned—its concrete overpasses now testaments to our modern Stonehenge monoliths.

Cruel are the state’s ossified “freeways”—especially the 101, the 99, and I-5—that have remained unchanged for the last half century and record some of the deadliest traffic statistics per mile driven in the U.S.

Cruel is what the state and city of Los Angeles did to their own residents during the recent fires.

Cruel is a derelict mayor—shamelessly attacking those who are trying to enforce federal law—junketing in Ghana of all places at the height of the fire season. Mayor Bass has about as much concern over violent protestors burning cars in Los Angeles as she did for neighborhoods burning while she junketed in Ghana.

Cruel was the Los Angeles deputy mayor (tasked with public safety, no less), who was arrested and convicted for reporting fake anti-Israel bomb threats.

Cruel was the Los Angeles water and power director who allowed a life-saving reservoir to remain abandoned and empty.

Cruel was the fire chief who obsessed over DEI hiring while leaving scores of fire hydrants across the city inoperative.

Cruel were the state directives that prevented sane clearing of brush kindling that guaranteed plentiful fuel to ensure an inferno among Pacific Palisades homes.

Cruel were the Coastal Commission and the city of Los Angeles that made it almost impossible to rebuild burned-out homes promptly.

Cruel are destructive regulatory policies that have driven out of the state everything from Tesla to refineries to insurance companies, ensuring that the struggling and vanishing middle classes cannot afford the staples of life.

Cruel are the roughly 40,000 annual traffic accidents in Los Angeles County, after which the culpable drivers often flee the scene of the accident. Does the governor or mayor ever ask why that is so, or worry over the some 8,000 victims who are killed or injured?

Cruel are the state’s “renewable energy” mandates that have skyrocketed the cost of electricity and impoverished state residents—one in four of whom now default on their monthly power bills.

Cruel is the boutique leftism of a generation of elite multimillionaire Bay Area politicians—from Jerry Brown to Nancy Pelosi to Gavin Newsom—whose wealth, office-holding, influence, and zip codes ensured that they were never subject to the baleful consequences of their virtue-signaling ideologies that fell only on distant and vulnerable others.

Trust? Who could trust the state of California, which has become a bifurcated medieval society of the very rich and the subsidized poor, with a complete disdain for the struggling middle class who cannot afford houses, power, fuel, or insurance?

Undermining?” Undermining is better defined as a governor and mayor deliberately ignoring or nullifying federal law in neo-Confederate fashion and siding with violent protestors, while offering the offenders implicit assurances of impunity.

Victor Davis Hanson: Gavin Newsom’s ‘Reckless’ Surrender of LA to Foreign National Riots

Los Angeles erupted in riots over ICE deportations this weekend—and Gov. Gavin Newsom called enforcing law and order “reckless.” Victor Davis Hanson breaks down the staggering hypocrisy of California’s leaders, the Mexican flags flying over violent protests, and what the American people really think, according to new CBS polling on today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.” “ Fifty-four percent (54%) of the American people are for continued deportations. So, you know what is really reckless, Gavin? You know what is chaotic? It's you. “ You're going to lose the optics—Democrats, Left and immigration protestors—if you have a lot of people here illegally and they're waving, not the American flag, but the Mexican flag, as they're committing acts of violence.”

Riots, Musk-Trump, and the Guinea Pigs of California

Description: Join Victor Davis Hanson and cohost Jack Fowler for thoughts on the LA riots, Musk-Trump fallout, ICE raids, Newsom's "this is cruel," and the real cruelty in California, meaning 65-cents-per-gallon tax, liberal elite destroying the middle class, sub-standard schools, and doxing ICE agents.

Gov. Gavin Newsom sues Trump admin over federalization of California National Guard

CERES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 16: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference at Gemperle Orchard on April 16, 2025 in Ceres, California. Governor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the Trump administration's use of emergency powers to enact sweeping tariffs that hurt states, consumers, and businesses. The tariffs have disrupted supply chains, increased costs for the state and Californians, and inflicted billions in damages on California’s economy, the fifth largest in the world. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference at Gemperle Orchard on April 16, 2025 in Ceres, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
6:04 PM – Monday, June 9, 2025

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state is suing the Trump administration due to President Donald Trump federalizing the state’s National Guard — in response to the violent riots taking place in Los Angeles.

Riots broke out across Los Angeles to protest local raids conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), overwhelming LAPD — prompting a strong response from President Donald Trump.

Rioters were caught on camera torching cars and throwing rocks at police vehicles, leading to numerous arrests as the federal guard worked to stamp out the chaotic gathering.

“Donald Trump is putting fuel on this fire. Commandeering a state’s National Guard without consulting the Governor of that state is illegal and immoral,” Newsom wrote in an X post on Sunday. “California will be taking him to court.”

Newsom issued an update on Monday, writing: “This is a manufactured crisis. [Trump] is creating fear and terror to take over a state militia and violate the U.S. constitution. The illegal order he signed could allow him to send the military into ANY STATE HE WISHES. Every governor – red or blue – should reject this outrageous overreach. There’s a lot of hyperbole out there. This isn’t that. This is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism that threatens the foundation of our republic. We cannot let it stand.”

The spat between Newsom and Trump continued after Newsom dared Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, to arrest him.

“Come after me. Arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy,” Newsom stated on Sunday.

Newsom’s comment seemingly meant to amplify the narrative that the Trump administration was overstepping its authority, despite Homan clarifying his message that "nobody is above the law regardless of their authority.

“Look I’m not biting on that,” Homan responded when directly asked about Newsom’s comments during a segment on MSNBC. “The NBC reporter that interviewed me is very dishonest. We did a 20 minute interview and he cuts out a little clip and takes my words out of context.”

“Here’s what I said – they have a right to protest, they have a first amendment right, but they can’t cross that line. They can’t cross that line of impediment, they can’t cross that line of putting their hands on officers, they can’t cross that line of knowing and concealing an illegal alien because those are all federal crimes,” he continued.

“That includes Mayor [Karen] Bass and Governor Newsom – and I was clear, they haven’t crossed the line but they’re not above the law either. If they commit a crime, they certainly would ask for prosecution. That’s what was happening. I never threatened to arrest Governor Newsom, so I’m not biting off on that,” he added.

Meanwhile, California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that he plans on requesting a court order declaring that Trump’s deployment of the National Guard was unlawful, while acquiring a restraining order against its deployment.

“Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the President’s authority under the law and is not one we take lightly. We’re asking a court to put a stop to this unlawful, unprecedented order,” he wrote in an announcement.

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'VERY SERIOUS': Gavin Newsom challenges Trump's federal authority

California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton discusses Gov. Gavin Newsom's response to the Los Angeles riots on 'Varney & Co.'

Newsom tears into Trump as he prepares lawsuit: 'Fuel on this fire'

Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley joins 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the legality surrounding President Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard to the LA riots, how Dems are responding to the move and the latest on Abrego Garcia's return.

 

Gavin Newsom challenges Trump’s Border Czar Homan to arrest him amid anti-ICE protests

CERES, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 16: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference at Gemperle Orchard on April 16, 2025 in Ceres, California. Governor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta have filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the Trump administration's use of emergency powers to enact sweeping tariffs that hurt states, consumers, and businesses. The tariffs have disrupted supply chains, increased costs for the state and Californians, and inflicted billions in damages on California’s economy, the fifth largest in the world. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference at Gemperle Orchard on April 16, 2025 in Ceres, California. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

OAN Staff James Meyers
8:31 AM – Monday, June 9, 2025

Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom has continued to add fuel to the fire in Los Angeles’ chaotic protests by daring the Trump administration’s border czar Tom Homan to arrest him for failing to stop the violence in Los Angeles.

“Come after me. Arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy,” the defiant Newsom (D-Calif.) told NBC News on Sunday.

The challenge by Newsom comes after Homan had warned that the Golden State governor and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could both be hit with federal charges for trying to prevent ICE raids throughout the city.

“I’ll say it about anybody,” Homan said in a weekend interview.

“You cross that line, it’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job. “I’ll say it about anybody.”

In response to the chaos, President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops to the city on Saturday evening as Los Angeles Police and ICE agents squared off with anti-ICE protesters for a third day.

The Democrat governor, who repeatedly said that the 47th president would only make it worse, threw fuel on the fire after accusing the administration of using federal power for their own political gain.

“He’s a tough guy. Why doesn’t he do that? He knows where to find me,” Newsom told NBC.

“But you know what? Get your hands off 4-year-old girls that are trying to get educated. Leave your hands off these poor people. They’re just trying to live their lives, man. Trying to live their lives and pay their taxes. Been here for 10 years. The fear, the horror.”

“The hell are they doing? These guys need to grow up. They need to stop, and we need to push back. And I’m sorry to be so clear, but that kind of bloviating is exhausting. So, Tom, arrest me. Let’s go,” he added.

Additionally, Homan accused Newsom of spreading anti-ICE rhetoric in the wake of the violent chaos.

“We’re arresting bad people. We’re enforcing laws and following up on a serious criminal investigation on cartel financing. So that’s exactly what ICE did. And ICE took a lot of bad people off the street that day,” he told Fox News’ “Fox & Friends.”

“We arrested a sexual predator, arrested gang members, arrested somebody that had an armed robbery conviction. So we made LA Safer.”

“The men and women of ICE, the men and women of the border control made LA safer that day, but you’re not hearing any of this. All you hear is a rhetoric about ICE being racist and ICE being Nazis and terrorists — and Governor Newsom feeds that,” he added.

Newsom stated that he will be filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration to stop the deployment of national guard troops.

“They had to coordinate with the governor of the state,” Newsom said.

“They never coordinated with the governor of the state.”

“This is about authoritarian tendencies. This is about command and control. This is about power. This is about ego,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department has stated they are overwhelmed by the amount of protesters in the city.

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Victor Davis Hanson: Gavin Newsom’s California in ‘Existential Freefall’

California is on the brink of disaster—$76 billion in debt, skyrocketing taxes, crumbling infrastructure, and a vanishing middle class. California native Victor Davis Hanson breaks down the harsh realities of Newsom’s policies in this episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.” From high taxes to a failing power grid, Hanson asks the critical question: Why is California becoming unsustainable? “The state started the year 2024 $76 billion in debt. You are now broke. Even that was not enough. What is your plan to address that? “We are in an existential freefall. And you as governor either can't or won't do anything about it. And if this continues, in another decade, this is going to be a completely medieval Third World society, if it isn't already.”

Calif: Huntington Beach Defies Gov. Newsom, Unanimously Votes To Become ‘Non-Sanctuary City’

HUNTINGTON BEACH, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 28: An aerial view of Huntington Beach and its shuttered pier amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 28, 2020 in Huntington Beach, California. The city of Huntington Beach has closed its pier and parking lots along the beach in efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 although the beach itself remains open. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
An aerial view of Huntington Beach and its shuttered pier amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 28, 2020 in Huntington Beach, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
4:11 PM – Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Huntington Beach, California, city council members unanimously voted to become a “non-sanctuary” city, defying Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom’s anticipated plans for the state during President Donald Trump’s second term.

“As the City Council Members commented, the intent of this Resolution is to deliberately sidestep the Governor’s efforts to subvert the good work of federal immigration authorities and to announce the City’s cooperation with the federal government, the Trump Administration, and Border Czar Tom Homan’s work,” the lawmakers wrote.

“This new City policy and Declaration is common sense, supports our law enforcement, and advances public safety throughout the City. What the Governor is doing does not. Neither the Governor nor the State Legislature with the passage of laws, may interfere with the City’s voluntary cooperation with federal authorities, nor cause or compel the City to violate federal laws such as Title 8 Section 1324 for the harboring of illegal immigrants,” the statement continued.

Newsom (D-Calif.) has openly vowed to “Trump-proof” the Golden State by proposing a legal defense fund of up to $50 million, paid for by California taxpayers for the state’s Department of Justice — “fighting back” against Trump’s policies on “climate change, immigration, and abortion.”

Meanwhile, social media users have argued that since Trump has already promised he would leave the abortion decision up to the states, and it is extremely unlikely that California will ever turn into a majority conservative state, the inclusion of abortion in the “anti-Trump” legal defense plan is unclear and doesn’t add up. Many Californians have also questioned whether this is a money grab ploy.

“This funding agreement cements California’s readiness to serve as a bulwark against Trump’s extremist agenda,” stated Senate Budget Chair Scott Weiner.

Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns introduced the resolution to “deliberately sidestep the Governor’s efforts to subvert the good work of federal immigration authorities and to announce the city’s cooperation with the federal government, the Trump Administration and Border Czar Tom Homan’s work.”

“In California in particular, fighting crime is difficult enough with the relaxed criminal laws and lack of enforcement. The State should get out of the way of local law enforcement, stop handcuffing our police officers and California’s cities, and get back to the business of protecting innocent citizens. Emphatically, the State should not take a position of violating federal immigration laws or encouraging cities to violate federal immigration laws,” added Huntington Beach City Attorney Michael Gates.

The new “non-sanctuary city” legislation took effect immediately.

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Gavin Newsom’s DISGRACEFUL Response to Empty Fire Hydrants in Los Angeles

The wildfires around Los Angeles are a historic disaster. But why was California so unprepared? Glenn reviews one of the biggest issues that has allowed these fires to spread: fire hydrants have dried up. Governor Gavin Newsom, who loves big government, said this was a local issue. However, since then, he has started an investigation. But why, Glenn asks, did he initially try to avoid the blame? Glenn Beck reviews where California’s water situation came from: public-private partnerships between companies and unelected bureaucrats. “California, are you starting to understand?” Glenn says. “That’s why we say the Deep State is bad…no one is accountable.” So, will this tragedy be enough for Californians to wake up?

Hysterical Kamala Harris parody ad goes viral after being banned by Gavin Newsom

Elon Musk is encouraging a hilarious parody ad mocking Kamala Harris to go viral on X after California governor Gavin Newson signed a law to eliminate deepfake and other AI-generated content in the lead up to the election. The law was sparked by a series of parody videos created by AI and using deepfakes to mock Kamala Harris on social media.