A primetime message to Californians nearly fell flat after Governor Gavin Newsom’s staff failed to properly equip him with a working microphone.
On Tuesday, Newsom sharply criticized President Donald Trump for circumventing his authority and deploying 4,000 members of the California National Guard to respond to the ongoing unrest in Los Angeles. The eight-minute address was intended to showcase Newsom as a prominent challenger to the president at the state level, but technical issues undermined his appearance as a serious primetime figure.
The broadcast’s first four minutes were marred by unintelligible audio, alternating between static and dead air as technicians scrambled to resolve the issue.
“One anchor with CBS Los Angeles said shortly after Newsom walked out in front of the camera. ‘We’re efforting to get the audio of Governor Newsom’s speech.’”
Fox L.A. experienced similar issues, prompting criticism from Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton during his appearance.
“Hilton said, writing on X that Newsom’s address was a ‘hot, garbled mess.’”
During the eight-minute speech, Newsom sharply rebuked Trump’s “inflammatory” conduct, blaming it for escalating tensions in Los Angeles. That same evening, Mayor Karen Bass imposed an 8 p.m. curfew. By the following morning, calm had mostly returned to the streets, with thousands of National Guardsmen and Marines stationed throughout the city.
“Newsom said. ‘This is about all of us. This is about you. California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes.’”
Even with the technical misfire, Newsom is clearly attempting to solidify his role as a leading anti-Trump voice. Following the address, the Wall Street Journal dubbed him “the leader of the opposition,” while CNN contributor Ana Navarro applauded his stance.
“She said. ‘I have been so thirsty for somebody that is not cowardly, bending the knee and selling out to Donald Trump as he does all of this to America.’”
The standoff intensified when Trump threatened to arrest Newsom over his resistance to federal immigration enforcement in California — a confrontation Newsom seemed willing to entertain, knowing it could bolster his public image.
Back in Washington, Trump’s aides paid close attention to Newsom’s remarks. Steven Cheung, Deputy Alex Pfeiffer, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller all took to social media to denounce the speech.
“The president’s rapid response account also wrote that Newsom claimed Trump was ‘traumatizing’ communities ‘by taking criminal illegal immigrant killers, rapists, gangbangers, drug dealers, human traffickers, and domestic abusers off the streets.’”
Looking ahead, the clash between Sacramento and Washington may escalate over funding. According to Politico, Trump is now considering slashing federal education dollars for California and revoking its pioneering vehicle emissions regulations.
If Gavin Newsom had done his job, someone else wouldn’t have had to do it for him. It’s too soon after the wild fires left California burning, for him to pull another stupid stunt like this again.
NEWSCUM BELONGS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR TREASON!