California’s Leadership Crisis: The Arc of Insanity Continues

In the scorched landscapes of California, it’s not just dry wood and mismanagement that have sparked the infernos—it’s the overt narcissism and vanity of politicians like Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Their obsession with self-promotion and personal political gain has overshadowed the urgent need for real solutions to the state’s wildfire crisis. While these leaders posture for the spotlight, crucial fire prevention efforts are neglected, and the lives of ordinary Californians are left to burn. Their failure to address the root causes of disaster isn’t just a matter of policy—it’s a matter of character. Newsom’s disgraceful letter to President Trump, which shifts responsibility while failing to practically help displaced Californians, is a prime example of the gaslighting and dishonesty that has defined his tenure as governor. Newsom continues to play dangerous and costly political games while our city burns before our very eyes —an unforgivable failure of leadership that will undoubtedly cost Californians for decades to come.

Instead of finger-pointing by Newsom, basic questions must be answered. For instance, why didn’t Newsom call Mayor Karen Bass back to Los Angeles from Africa when they were warned — like the rest of us — that the winds were about to ravage the Los Angeles basin? Why wasn’t Newsom ensuring that local reservoirs, like the 117-million-gallon one in Pacific Palisades, were filled to capacity? And why were fire hydrants found empty in critical areas when they were needed most? Why did Governor Gavin Newsom slash funding earmarked for fighting wildfires by more than $100 million? Additionally, in a state and region with an annual fire season, why in 2023 did Mayor Karen Bass allow a $17.6 million budget cut to firefighting services—a decision that directly undermined the Los Angeles Fire Department’s ability to respond effectively to wildfires? Instead of addressing these glaring issues, Newsom spends his time asking President Biden to monitor “misinformation” while ignoring the basic needs of the people affected by the fires – all too reminiscent of Newsom’s ineffective COVID-19 era policies.

For those of us who have endured the failed policies of the Newsom regime, I can remember when President Trump sent a hospital ship during the pandemic to help California’s overwhelmed healthcare system, yet Newsom has not responded to fire victims in kind. There has been no real effort by Bass and Newsom to find shelter for the thousands displaced by these fires—many of whom have lost everything, including basic necessities.

This is the same governor who dined maskless at the French Laundry during the height of the pandemic while locking down and masking the rest of us. Now, his only response to the fires is to run from the press with the seemingly contrived excuse of taking a call from President Biden (with obvious cognitive impairment) and engage in more blame-shifting and political grandstanding.

When I met President Trump for the second time in Orange County in 2023, he spoke at length about California’s broken water system and the essential infrastructure needed to fight fires—many of the same points he had discussed with Governor Newsom back in 2018. President Trump also highlighted the critical need for deforestation measures, brush clearance, and reservoirs filled to capacity—not just from local sources, but by exploring opportunities beyond the state, such as the Columbia River. These proactive, common-sense solutions could have prevented the catastrophic loss of life and property that we are now seeing and have been seeing for years.

Yet, Newsom’s continued inaction on these fronts, coupled with his prioritization of asinine environmental policies like saving the smelt fish at the expense of water storage and fire preparedness, has only exacerbated the state’s inability to respond effectively to disasters.

Many have said that California’s environmental policies, such as restrictions on logging, deforestation, and water usage, have created the inability to effectively prepare for fires. But what environmental damage have all these fires caused? Hundreds of thousands of acres of land, wildlife habitats, and ecosystems are being destroyed each year, and the air quality suffers as massive amounts of carbon are released into the atmosphere. It’s an empty argument to claim that environmental policies should outweigh necessary firefighting measures. The environmental toll of these fires is devastating, and it’s clear that the lack of proper forest management and water infrastructure is a far greater threat to the state’s long-term health.

Amidst the growing frustration with Newsom’s leadership, even Hollywood celebrities are turning against him. But it’s the everyday Californians who are the real heroes—those who have been fighting long before these fires. It’s the workers, the firefighters, the police officers, the brave pastors, the parents whose kids were locked down during the pandemic, and the freedom fighters who stood up against Newsom’s tyrannical lockdowns and covid policies. It’s also the small business owners who struggled to stay afloat, many of whom folded under the weight of unreasonable mandates during the pandemic. And let’s not forget the brave residents of the crime-ridden sanctuary cities, whose lives have been turned upside down by failed policies—policies that were once championed by figures like Vice President Kamala Harris, who have only contributed to the suffering of Californians. These are the people who have been left behind by the governor’s disastrous policies, and they are the bedrock in the fight to restore California.

I spent my college years at Sever College and the Caruso School of Law at Pepperdine University in Malibu, and year after year, we saw the same seasonal patterns unfold—wet El Niño or dry La Niña years followed by dry winters and, inevitably, the fierce Santa Ana winds. Yet, under Gavin Newsom’s leadership, this state has become a shadow of what it once was. His blatant hypocrisy—championing foolish environmental policies while sacrificing the basic needs of Californians—has driven this state to the brink.

I’ve had long conversations with friends who have lost their homes—many with young children, others with elderly family members—who have lost everything but their memories. These Californians deserve better than the political grandstanding and empty promises of Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass. We deserve leadership that puts people first and prepares for disaster rather than running from it.

If Kamala Harris had been elected in 2024, the rest of the nation would surely experience the same crisis mismanagement that we have here in California, but on an even greater scale. Crisis mishandling like we saw with the hurricanes in North Carolina and Georgia with a bankrupt FEMA, or the pitiful $750 aid to Maui fire victims, and the utter devastation of East Palestine, Ohio—none of which were on President Trump’s watch. They were all the fault of Harris, Biden, and the rest of the failed radical left “leadership”. 

We don’t need Gavin Newsom to Trump-proof California as he has so arrogantly held a special session to discuss; we desperately need President Trump’s effective and decisive leadership in California. The juxtaposition between President Trump and Governor Newsom couldn’t be more striking. While President Trump has consistently demonstrated his ability to provide proactive solutions, problem-solving abilities, and deal-making skills on a global scale, Governor Newsom has not provided practical solutions to Californians for even the most basic of things, such as lowering the gas tax.  It is Gavin Newsom who puts politics over people, and had Newsom acted on even one of the fire prevention measures that President Trump proposed seven years ago, California might have avoided the catastrophic fires that have plagued the state in recent years.

The wildfires ravaging Southern California are a damning indictment of the failed leadership of Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen and they must both resign. The people of California have had enough of inept leadership. It’s time to turn the page and rebuild golden California—together.