Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Not So Fast, Newsom: Trump-Appointed US Attorney Rains Down on Left's Victory Parade Over National Guard

Not So Fast, Newsom: Trump-Appointed US Attorney Rains Down on Left's Victory Parade Over National Guard

AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

Trump-appointed U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli was quick to rain down on the left's victory parade, which it was throwing for itself over a federal judge's ruling against Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles.

As my RedState colleague Susie Moore reported on Tuesday, "Northern District of California District Court Judge Charles Breyer rendered his judgment in the case involving the Trump administration's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles in June and found that the administration violated the Posse Comitatus Act." She also noted that we can expect a swift appeal of the judgment to the 9th Circuit.


READ MORE: Breaking: Federal Judge Finds Trump Admin's LA National Guard Deployment Violated Posse Comitatus Act

MORE: Never Say Never: Judge Expands Newsom's National Guard Lawsuit to Include Stuff That Hasn't Happened


Moore pointed out part of the 52-page decision from Breyer that read:

Nevertheless, at Defendants' orders and contrary to Congress's explicit instruction, federal troops executed the laws. The evidence at trial established that Defendants systematically used armed soldiers (whose identity was often obscured by protective armor) and military vehicles to set up protective perimeters and traffic blockades, engage in crowd control, and otherwise demonstrate a military presence in and around Los Angeles. In short, Defendants violated the Posse Comitatus Act.

Immediately following the ruling, Democrat CA Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated along with other lefties. Newsom's post read, "DONALD TRUMP LOSES AGAIN. The courts agree -- his militarization of our streets and use of the military against US citizens is ILLEGAL."

The Gov.'s post included a CNN headline that, not surprisingly, read, "Judge says Trump administration's use of military in Los Angeles violated federal law."

But as with everything these days, when it comes to the left and all the legal wranglings they have the Trump administration wrapped up in, the devil is in the details.

In response to Newsom's post, "Acting US Attorney Bill Essayli pointed out the following:

"The military will remain in Los Angeles. This is a false narrative and a misleading injunction," Essayli's post read. "The military has never engaged in direct law enforcement operations here in LA. They protect our federal employees, our properties, so our federal agents can safely enforce federal laws."

Oh, no! You mean Trump's administration isn't just going to fold up and go home? This is great news for the city of Los Angeles and anyone who believes in the rule of law. After all, it was the utter chaos created by the left during the anti-ICE riots in June that started all of this. 


SEE: Arrested: Man on FBI Most Wanted List for Violence at Anti-ICE Riots Surrenders at Border

ALSO: DHS Obliterates Kim Kardashian's Inane Plea Amid Anti-ICE Riots In LA


RedState was on top of the riots in LA from the start. For those who might not recall, "protesters" blocked freeways, burned cars, and threw chunks of concrete at law enforcement officers. And in response, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass refused to quell the violence, blaming everything on Trump. Newsom did what he does best, and did nothing but try to use it as an opportunity to improve his 2028 chances. 

However, LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell blew up the Democratic narrative about the "peaceful protests" at the time and said things were out of control.

The only person who helped the people and businesses in LA was Trump and his administration. They didn't sit around watching the failed leaders in the blue city and state continue to abdicate their responsibilities, but took action.

RedState reported that Trump called in the National Guard, and almost immediately, the insanity we had witnessed on our screens of rioters disrupting LA residents came to an end.

https://redstate.com/katie-jerkovich/2025/09/02/not-so-fast-newsom-trump-appointed-us-attorney-rains-down-on-left-victory-parade-over-national-guard-n2193494?utm_source=rsafternoonbriefingvip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

No refuge

No refuge

 by Scott Johnson in Crime, Democrats, Minnesota, Tim Walz


With Minnesota Democrats in control of the political branches of state government, they lost no time advancing the agenda of their base. In the first months of the 2023-2024 “let’s go crazy” legislative session, they made the national news with a bizarre “trans refuge” bill. The bill was preceded by Governor Tim Walz’s executive order making Minnesota a “sanctuary” where minors could suffer permanent genital mutilation in a manner that would be illegal where they live.

In the same “let’s go crazy” legislative session Democrats also banned therapy “that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions…” If you don’t doubt the wisdom of the law, you’re out of your mind.

The “let’s go crazy” session helped bring Tim Walz to the attention of national Democrats. President Obama thought that Walz had a good thing going. Following his selection as Kamala Harris’s running mate, Obama was ecstatic. “He knows who he is and what’s important,” Obama said. “You can tell those flannel shirts he wears don’t come from some political consultant, they come from his closet…” And he wasn’t talking about Walz’s effeminate theatrics on the campaign trail. They were yet to come.

If Minnesota is a state trans refuge, Minneapolis must be the capital. In the wake of the mass shooting yesterday at Annunciation Church by trans madperson Robin Westman, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey instructed us: “Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community or any other community out there has lost their sense of common humanity.” He means to shut down those of us who have do not concur in the wisdom of the party’s program.

Frey also disparaged “thoughts and prayers” for the two children and others injured in Westman’s murder spree. He apparently wants to tout gun control. “Gun violence” is the question and “gun control” is the answer. Amen.

Westman’s reported video/manifestos include anti-Semitic and anti-Christian phrases and symbols as well as calls to kill President Donald Trump and destroy the state of Israel. He wrote of murdering “filthy Zionist Jews,” that “six million wasn’t enough,” and “free Palestine,” the New York Post reported yesterday. “If I will carry out a racially motivated attack, it would be most likely against filthy Zionist jews,” Westman reportedly wrote in a journal that the paper said was “full of antisemitic slurs.”

It sounds like a slightly expanded edition of the whole party package. Miranda Devine gets inside Minnesota’s political culture in her New York Post column “Deadly Minnesota school shooting reflects tragic cost of a disordered society — including Dem leaders who lost the plot.”

The lineup of public officials at the press briefing after the shooting yesterday is a joke: Walz, Frey, O’Hara, Minneapolis public safety commissioner Toddrick Barnette, and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. They make for an unintentionally satirical portrait of political clowns. It is the visual counterpart to Devine’s column.

We have followed the exodus of sworn officers from the Minneapolis Police Department, the demoralization of the department under Chief Brian O’Hara, the lawlessly lax law enforcement of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, the promotion of Minneapolis and Minnesota as “sanctuary” jurisdictions for illegal immigration, and so on. Minneapolis is down some 350 officers of the more than 900 that populated the ranks at the time of the death of Saint George Floyd. Five years later, Minneapolis’s police department more than 150 officers short of the legal minimum.

It should be noted that Walz has manifested his hostility to religious schools such as the Annunciation Catholic School affiliate of the church. The two students killed and others injured in the shooting attended the school. The National Catholic Register reports “Minnesota Catholic School Shooting Came After Bishops’ Pleas for Security Funds Went Unanswered.” Subhead: “Democratic Gov. Tim Walz and the state Legislature both declined to act on repeated appeals from Catholic leaders seeking the same level of protection public schools receive.” It is a timely, detailed, and devastating story by senior editor Jonathan Liedl.

The bishops speak for everyone I know involved with our local religious schools. That’s an angle that the Star Tribune has not yet covered in connection with the Annunciation shooting. That much I can tell you.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/08/no-refuge.php

The war on noticing [With Comment by John]

The war on noticing [With Comment by John]

 by Bill Glahn in Ilhan Omar, Minnesota


Regarding last week’s horrific Minneapolis Catholic church/school shooting, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar says that now is “not the moment to point fingers.” Unless she is the one pointing them.

From the New York Post,

Rep. Ilhan Omar slams Trump official for pointing out Minnesota church shooter’s trans identity: ‘Not the moment to point fingers.’

Apparently, she was on CNN this Sunday morning, following Seb Gorka. The Post reports

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) accused White House official Sebastian Gorka on Sunday of wanting “to deflect from the reality” of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting by pointing out gunman Robin Westman’s transgender identity.

As inconvenient as it may be, Westman’s transgender identity does seem to be the distinguishing element of this specific horror. To its credit, the Post goes on to document seven (7) similar incidents involving transgendered persons dating back to 2018.

So what would Gorka be trying to deflect from? The Post quotes Omar,

“These people are all over the place because they want to deflect from the reality.” she continued, “which is that, there was, someone who came into that school, through the window, and assassinated two beautiful angels, as they prayed.”

“This is not the moment to point fingers,” Omar argued, as she called for banning assault weapons and more resources to address mental health issues in response to the shooting.

Except, as we’ve documented here on Power Line, Minnesota already has a “red flag” law in effect that wasn’t utilized in Westman’s case. And the specific type of mental health resource that Westman could have benefited from is outlawed under state law.

Omar wrote on Twitter (X) earlier today, in response to her CNN interview,

Tackling gun violence shouldn’t be a Democrat or Republican issue. We should work together as Americans to stop another act of terror from happening again.

That starts with a ban on assault weapons.

Omar herself points the finger in this tragedy at millions of law-abiding gun owners, as if they were responsible for these events.

Such a ban, by definition, will only impact otherwise law-abiding citizens and will do nothing to address the mental-health crisis resulting from Minnesota’s “sanctuary” laws.

As Gorka pointed out his morning,

The White House official argued that the massacre perpetrated by Westman, who confessed he was “‘tired of being trans,” is part of a disturbing trend of mass shootings committed by people struggling with their gender identity.

But, for Omar, it’s easier and more politically advantageous to blame the tools rather than the person.

JOHN adds: It also should be noted that Omar’s fellow Minnesota Democrats are already raising money on the Westman murders by pointing fingers at Republicans.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/08/the-war-on-noticing.php

Don's Tuesday Column

THE WAY I SEE IT by Don Polson         Red Bluff Daily News 9/02/2025

        The ways CA, Newsom work against us

Prominent news article from Thursday’s edition: “Schools brace for fallout on religious rights” by Thomas Peele of “EDSOURCE.”

“Two months after the U.S. Supreme Court granted public school parents the right to withdraw their children from materials and discussions on LGBTQ+ issues and other subjects that conflict with their ‘sincerely held religious beliefs,’ conservative leaders in California are predicting schools will be swamped with opt-out demands.

“That hasn’t happened yet, but attorneys agree that this latest escalation of the culture wars will likely cause turmoil, confusion, and years of litigation, largely because the court offered no guidance on how opt-out requests should be handled, how religious belief claims can or should be verified, and how schools should handle potential logistical issues.

“‘There is a lot of trepidation about how to handle this issue in a way that is legally compliant and doesn’t trigger a backlash from one side of the issue or the other,’ Troy Flint, a spokesperson for the California School Boards Association, told EdSource via email Saturday night.”

The way I see it, when “Superintendents have concerns about how to make a fact-specific determination regarding parent requests” amid “threats of litigation from both sides,” that’s a thinly-veiled way of making it difficult for parents to exempt their children from propaganda for boutique and harmful sexual ideologies that only existed for the last virtual 15 minutes of human history.

When “LGBTQ+ advocates and defenders of the state’s progressive school standards are threatening discrimination lawsuits if opt-outs are granted” it really gives the indoctrination game away. These fanatics are so determined to turn someone else’s children into perverted versions of sexually-groomed followers of their sick, wierdo, bordering-on-pedophelia apparent “religion,” said fanatics will litigate to achieve that end.

1) We hope schools (including in Tehama County) get “swamped” with such requests; 2) There should be no confusion about how to “opt out” as the preeminence of the parents’ priorities demands assent to their wishes in whatever—preferably the simplest—form those wishes are expressed; 3) The logistics for said students to be exempted from such classes and instruction are really simple—a “study hall” overseen by a teacher or administrator and, finally, 4) It’s none of the school’s business to put parents through some “test” to determine their “sincerely held religious beliefs.” There, I fixed all the “opt out” problems

***

Similar theme: “California Democrats Zero-In on Parents Rights With Brutally Evil Assembly Bill 495” (by Tom Tradup, Townhall.com). Evangelical Pastor Jack Hibbs is sounding an alarm over a bill now being amended by the state senate to create “legal loopholes that could easily lead to abduction and exploitation of children in California.”

In the Democrats’ obsession to enable illegal alien children to continue receiving taxpayer-funded schooling and other services, they’re creating a means for any adult to claim legal authority to act on any child’s behalf. “Parents’ rights groups and Constitutional lawyers caution that if AB495 becomes law any stranger can simply download an online form and declare himself ‘guardian’ of any child who may be in public school or even a daycare center or summer camp.

“A kidnapper or child trafficker can then present that certificate to authorities and remove a child under his alleged ‘guardianship’…and the school or daycare provider has zero liability under AB495 for releasing that child.” Let’s hope that an August 19 Sacramento rally persuades lawmakers to amend the offensive parts out of that bill (preferably to kill it).

***

Voters will likely be deluged with “big, dark-money-funded” propaganda and “push polls” to persuade them to agree to the Newsom/Democrat power-grab-election to “temporarily” remove the citizens’ redistricting commission from the process of, well, redistricting.

Set aside the bally-hoo and know this: About 2 weeks ago a Politico poll (no right-leaner) found about a two-to-one margin favoring the “independent line-drawing panel” by 64% vs. 36% who want state lawmakers in charge of redistricting.

***

Democrats then: “Illegal immigrants don’t get welfare benefits.” Democrats now: “Illegal immigrants do get welfare benefits, and it’s a good thing, and we will fight to keep forcing American taxpayers to fund it.” California “sues Trump for blocking some ‘public benefit’ [i.e. for illegals] programs,” (SacBee, LA Times, July 22). Hence, massive budget deficits in states providing “public benefits” for the “undocumented.”

***

“Gavin Newsom Personally Secured Nonprofit Cash For Anti-Law Enforcement Activists” (Dailycaller.com). Gov. Newsom “asked nonprofits to donate at least $610,000 to groups that call for defunding or abolishing law enforcement since 2023, before distancing himself from such stances.”

***

“NGO run by Gavin Newsom's wife gets millions in taxpayer dollars which is then sent to her 'for-profit' organization—giving the Newsom family a benefit of ~$1.5 million from nonprofit salary + ~$1.7 million from film sales/licenses.” (Denise Aguilar) Care to clarify, Governor?

Who speaks for the children

Who speaks for the children

 by Bill Glahn in Illegal immigration


From The Hill newspaper,

Judge temporarily halts US deportation of Guatemalan children.

A Biden-appointed federal district judge held a court hearing on a Sunday afternoon on a holiday weekend. NPR reports,

[T]he Guatemalan government had requested the return of the children to their home country and that all the children’s parents had requested their removal from the U.S.

NPR asked the Government of Guatemala to comment but did not immediately hear back.

It’s Sunday. But a federal judge substituted her judgement for the judgement of the parents and the judgement of their home country. NPR quotes an attorney for the children,

The government is trying to spin this as child protection, but it’s not, it’s child abuse.

What? Let’s back up. How did these children (numbering some 600) come to have legal representation, anyway? Who are these lawyers? Who hired them? Who is paying for them?

The parents want them home. But a group of lawyers do not. Why do they get to decide?

You may recall at the height of the Biden border crisis, large numbers of unaccompanied minors crossing the border. Those sending them knew that Biden would not turn away anyone under 18 (or claiming to be).

The Hill quotes U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR),

This move threatens to separate children from their families, lawyers, and support systems, to thrust them back into the very conditions they are seeking refuge from, and to disappear vulnerable children beyond the reach of American law and oversight.

Uniting children with parents = separating children from their families. These are not American children, they do not belong to Ron Wyden.

The judge’s order (she is not a justice, as NPR writes) will stay in effect for 14 days.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2025/08/who-speaks-for-the-children.php

Monday, September 1, 2025

The Left’s Hysteria Over Trump’s Immigration Enforcement Plans in Chicago

The Left’s Hysteria Over Trump’s Immigration Enforcement Plans in Chicago

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

The left is once again losing its mind as the Trump administration prepares to ramp up immigration enforcement in Chicago. The latest uproar stems from plans to use the Great Lakes Naval Station as a base for operations. The Department of Homeland Security has requested support from the Navy base, including facilities and logistical needs, to bolster its enforcement actions in Illinois. And as expected, Democrats have erupted into a fit of rage. 

The administration’s plans, still in the early stages, will focus on strengthening the enforcement of immigration laws in sanctuary cities, such as Chicago. According to border czar Tom Homan, the operations are set to ramp up across the country, with Chicago being a key target. Homan made it clear that cities that refuse to cooperate with ICE will face the consequences. 

“You’re going to see a ramp up of operations in New York; you’re going to see a ramp up of operations continue in L.A., Portland, Seattle... all these sanctuary cities that refuse to work with ICE,” he said.

Naturally, this provoked a fury of indignation from Chicago’s political elite, led by self-proclaimed progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson. His words weren’t just hostile—they were incendiary. On MSNBC, Johnson didn’t mince words, openly urging residents to “rise up” against federal law enforcement. This is the same city where violent crime has been steadily increasing, but Johnson seems more concerned about opposing federal efforts to enforce the law than protecting his constituents.

But it doesn’t stop there. Radical Illinois Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker joined the chorus of left-wing politicians decrying the potential use of the Naval Station for enforcement. 

“The state of Illinois is ready to stand against this military deployment with every peaceful tool we have,” he warned as if the use of a Navy base to address illegal immigration was some kind of Orwellian dystopia rather than a reasonable measure to secure the nation’s borders.

The outrage extended to former Biden Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who, in an attempt to paint Trump as a would-be dictator, wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “When I reported for duty at Naval Station Great Lakes, I never imagined that someday a U.S. President would seek to use it as a base for surveillance and enforcement activity on American soil.” 

The emotional reactions from the left have gone from predictable to absurd. Illegal immigration activist Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, for example, accused the Trump administration of waging a "war on American cities" because of the potential deployment of federal forces to Chicago. 

It’s telling that the left’s primary concern in this debate isn’t securing the safety of American citizens, but rather protecting illegal immigrants from enforcement actions. The very idea that a military base in Illinois could be used to address illegal immigration has them up in arms, even though it’s a legal, constitutional use of federal resources to uphold the law.

While Chicago’s streets are plagued by violent crime, the local government’s focus is on undermining federal law enforcement rather than ensuring the safety and security of its citizens. What’s clear is that this is about more than just immigration enforcement—it’s about a left-wing agenda that prioritizes ideology over practicality and safety. The hysteria that the potential use of the Naval Station has sparked is just the latest example of how the left is willing to fight tooth and nail to preserve their sanctuary city policies, regardless of the consequences for the people who actually live there.

The Trump administration’s plans are simply a reflection of what should be common sense: enforce the law, protect the citizens, and put an end to the chaos caused by unchecked illegal immigration. 

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/saraharnold/2025/08/30/the-lefts-hysteria-over-trumps-immigration-enforcement-plans-in-chicago-n2662570?utm_source=thdailyvip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

Gavin Newsom's 'Crimefighter' Campaign Implodes As Residents, LA County DA Shred Him Over Prop 36 Funding

Gavin Newsom's 'Crimefighter' Campaign Implodes As Residents, LA County DA Shred Him Over Prop 36 Funding

AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez

On Thursday, we brought you the story of how "the Trump Effect" had made its way to Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), as evidenced by his announcement of a law enforcement "surge" in California amid President Trump's emphasis on combating crime in blue cities and states across America.

Interestingly, Newsom didn't say during the press conference on the surge why exactly it was needed in some of the cities he had previously assured us had experienced double-digit decreases in the crime rate, like Los Angeles and San Francisco.

And when a reporter asked Newsom if initiating the surge meant he believed crime was an issue after all, despite his social media boasts of crime allegedly being down to a significant degree, Newsom stumbled through his non-answer before his handlers cut the briefing short, much like Joe Biden's handlers used to do for him.


READ MORE -->> The Trump Effect: Watch the Tables Get Hilariously Turned on Gavin Newsom During Law Enforcement Briefing


Something else Newsom has taken heat over in recent months from residents and district attorneys alike has been his refusal to fund Proposition 36, an anti-crime initiative voters overwhelmingly approved in 2024, but which Newsom opposed to the point he actually tried to have it removed from the ballot.

As we also reported, funding for it was left out of both of his budget proposals for this year, but in a last-minute move, he agreed with state legislative leaders in mid-June as part of a budget deal to partially fund it to the tune of $100 million, something Prop 36's proponents called a slap in the face considering the cost for the measure was estimated to be around $400 million.

On Thursday, however, fed-up Los Angeles County residents who live in Torrance, California, blasted Newsom during a town hall meeting, shredding him for using hundreds of millions for his gerrymandering scheme but not Prop 36:

"I'm going to listen to the experts that are actually doing the work," said Arthur Schaper. "They said we need $400 million. It's shameful for the governor to be pursuing a, if I may be so bold, going after a redistricting effort for some political project, when he needs to be reasserting and refunding our public safety needs. All of that money needs to be going to public safety."

"That's our tax dollars, and the things we are actually asking for," said Sandra Goetz. "Why can't we get it done?"

Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman also sounded off, mocking Newsom's wacky new social media strategy and vowing to try to connect with him through it if it meant getting his attention and approval for more funding.

"We will call him," Hochman told FOX 11. "We will send him social media. We will DM him. I'll say it right to the camera: Gov. Newsom, if you're listening, get us this funding."

FOX 11 asked Hochman if the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office can effectively carry out Proposition 36 without the funding some believe is necessary.

"[It's] slower," Hochman said. "It's much slower. If the jails effectively have to be the treatment centers, they are not equipped fully to be proper treatment centers."

Watch as the report also talks about the crime issues Torrance has dealt with in recent weeks, while Newsom has gone full-scale Resistance Leader, focusing more on his national ambitions than on the needs of Californians:

Hey, here's an idea: Officials in Torrance should try to schedule a visit from Chinese President Xi Jinping. As we saw ahead of the APEC conference in San Francisco in 2023, that's about the only way, other than Trump shaming him on a national level, to get Newsom to do anything to actually get things cleaned up.

"I know folks are saying, 'Oh, they're just cleaning up this place because all those fancy leaders are coming to town.' That's true because it's true ..." -- Gov. Gavin Newsom, November 2023.

https://redstate.com/sister-toldjah/2025/08/29/nathan-hochman-rips-gavin-newsom-lack-of-funding-for-prop-36-n2193388?utm_source=rsmorningbriefingvip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl

California Democrats Brag, Families Suffer: The Rankings They Don’t Want You Talking About

California Democrats Brag, Families Suffer: The Rankings They Don’t Want You Talking About

AP Photo

Gavin Newsom and California Democrats love to strut like peacocks, crowing that California has the fourth-largest economy in the world. Sounds impressive, if you ignore reality. But Californians living paycheck to paycheck know this is not Fantasyland.

The truth? Ordinary people are struggling to survive in a state where their political leaders fail them at every turn.

Yet, Newsom and his cronies consistently taunt Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. They puff up their chests, paint California as the gold standard, and sneer. They brag about “superior” governance, but the rankings scream otherwise.

Yes, California has a massive GDP, roughly $4.1 trillion. However, GDP is size, not substance. It does not put a roof over a family’s head, fill a gas tank, or stock a grocery shelf. It does not measure real opportunity or upward mobility.

And it certainly does not capture crushing costs, sky-high taxes, or shrinking opportunity that leaves everyday Californians footing the bill while elites sip wine in Napa and tech moguls cash out in Silicon Valley.

The fourth-largest economy? On paper. In the real world, it is a hollow brag. A smoke-and-mirrors victory lap for failed leadership.

The Cold, Hard Numbers

Back in May, U.S. News & World Report released its Best States rankings for 2025, a massive survey that crunches dozens of data points to measure how well states are actually performing for their people. This is not about vanity metrics like GDP.

It is about whether states are delivering on what matters most: health care, education, jobs, infrastructure, public safety, opportunity, fiscal stability, and quality of life. But not all categories are treated equally.

Health care and education carry the most weight, followed by economies, infrastructure, and opportunity. Fiscal stability, crime and corrections, and natural environment all factor in, too. In other words, these rankings reflect the daily realities of ordinary people, not the empty talking points of grandstanding politicians.

So how did California fare against the two states Newsom loves to mock?

  • Economy: California #32 | Texas #2 | Florida #1
  • Education: California #24 | Texas #25 | Florida #2
  • Fiscal Stability: California #42 | Texas #12 | Florida #9
  • Infrastructure: California #35 | Texas #18 | Florida #15
  • Opportunity: California #50 | Texas #48 | Florida #47
  • Overall Ranking: California #37 | Texas #29 | Florida #6

Boom! That is the reality check Gavin Newsom never wants to talk about.

California, the so-called “fourth-largest economy in the world,” ranks near the bottom of the barrel when it comes to delivering results for its people. It lags far behind Florida, which ranks in the top 10 overall, and even Texas, which Newsom routinely mocks, comes out ahead in almost every meaningful category.

The numbers do not lie. California is big, yes, but big does not mean better. And when you look past the smoke and mirrors, it is clear that Florida and Texas are eating California’s lunch on the metrics that actually matter to working families.

GDP Brag ≠ Quality of Life

California’s economy is not some evenly spread powerhouse. It is a glittering hall of mirrors built on tech and a handful of elite sectors. Sure, those industries make headlines and generate jaw-dropping numbers, but most Californians are stuck in low-wage jobs, gig work, or flat-out unemployment.

High GDP? Maybe. Real opportunity for the people who actually live here? Not a chance.

GDP looks great in a press release, but it does nothing to pay the bills. Californians are crushed under rents they cannot afford, taxes that bleed their paychecks dry, and living costs that race far ahead of wages.

A massive economy means nothing if the people cannot survive in it.

Newsom’s own push for higher gas taxes and strict housing regulations has made filling a tank or finding an affordable apartment a daily struggle for millions.

Meanwhile, he struts around like a peacock, tossing out trillion-dollar bragging points, while the state budget tells a different story. Five out of the last seven years, California ran a deficit. Texas and Florida?

They balance their books and post surpluses; a level of fiscal discipline California could only dream of.

Texas and Florida prove that states can grow their economy and deliver a better quality of life to their citizens. They create jobs, keep taxes manageable, and build pathways for people to thrive.

California? It pretends to know how, but the numbers and the lives of everyday residents say otherwise.

Big GDP, Negative Results

California has the resources and the potential for everyone to thrive. But under Democrat leadership, that potential has been wasted. Decades of rising costs, crushing taxes, and political mismanagement have left ordinary residents struggling. Families have watched their wages stall, rents soar, and neighborhoods crumble while Newsom brags about GDP and plays political tit for tat.

Real achievement means leadership that works for the people, not the elites. It means policies that create jobs, lower costs, restore safety, and expand opportunity. It means actually delivering for communities that have been ignored.

California Democrats talk a big game. But their record?

Broken neighborhoods, busted budgets, and betrayal of the people.

https://redstate.com/steve-williams/2025/08/29/california-democrats-brag-families-suffer-the-rankings-they-dont-want-you-talking-about-n2193381?utm_source=rsafternoonbriefingvip&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl