Newsom's political future 'practically nonexistent' as LA devolves into riots, social media critics predict
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's floated potential run for the White House in 2028 was likely thwarted by his handling of the anti-ICE riots gripping Los Angeles, conservative social media critics predict.
Newsom has been floated as a likely 2028 Democratic contender for the White House as he wraps up his second term as governor in 2026. Riots plaguing the city in response to the Trump administration's efforts to remove illegal immigrants residing in Los Angeles, which come on the heels of massive wildfires that rocked southern California this winter, have left Newsom on precarious political ground, according to conservatives who are balking at his response to the LA chaos.
"Gavin Newsom's odds of clinching the 2028 presidential race are practically nonexistent," X user Angela Belcamino posted Monday. "Across the country, Americans are eyeing California's struggles under his watch, convinced he'd unleash the same chaos nationwide if he ever won the White House."
"Gavin Newsom's handling of the LA riots should be considered an in-kind contribution to the @JDVance2028 presidential campaign. Newsom is providing a lot of ad material for free," one social media account posted on Sunday.
"Notice how Newsom has no adverse commentary about the rioters – he saves all his venom for American authorities," author and retired Army Col. James Hutton posted to X Sunday. "This is why he has no chance to be president one day. Most Americans tend to believe in this country."
Many critics of the riots unfolding in Los Angeles argued that photos of the scene would live in infamy and dash any hopes Newsom may hold on running for president. Some users remarked that the photos depicting rioters surrounded by flames and smoke while waving a Mexican flag "will cost Newsom his 2028 presidential run," and that the Trump administration "couldn't have asked for better" representation of California politics captured in photos.
"Gavin Newsom is refusing to help stop the riots AND denying their existence because he bows to open borders donors... hoping they'll fund his 2028 Presidential run. Do not forget this!," Club for Growth senior analyst Andrew Follett posted to X, accompanied by a photo showing a rioter with a Mexican flag on a motorbike as smoke billowed behind him.
"Newsom 2028 off to a 🔥 start," editor-in-chief of the DC Report Matt Foldi posted, accompanied by a similar photo showing a rioter waving what appeared to be the Mexican flag as a fire raged in front of him.
"Gavin Newsom 2028," DC Draino, a popular conservative X account, posted accompanied by a photo of a pair of masked rioters standing on a destroyed car waving the Mexican flag.
Newsom is viewed as a potential leader of the Democratic Party as it navigates its future following the disastrous 2024 election cycle that saw President Joe Biden exit the race just over 100 days from Election Day and former Vice President Kamala Harris fail to rally support against now-President Donald Trump. The Democratic governor has not yet said whether he would launch a presidential run in 2028.
Riots broke out in the left-wing city Friday evening after federal law enforcement officials converged on Los Angeles to carry out immigration raids as part of Trump's vow to deport illegal aliens who flooded the nation under the Biden administration. Local leaders such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Newsom, however, quickly denounced the raids in public statements while offering words of support for illegal immigrants in the state.
Protests over the raids soon devolved into violence as rioters targeted federal law enforcement officials, including launching rocks at officials, as well as videos showing people looting local stores, setting cars on fire and taking over a freeway.
Trump announced Saturday that he was deploying 2,000 National Guard members to help quell the violence, bypassing the governor, who typically activates the National Guard and sparking Newsom to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration for efforts to allegedly "federalize the California National Guard."
Trump and Newsom have long sparred, stretching back to the first Trump administration, including when Newsom installed coronavirus restrictions in the state during the pandemic, such as mask and vaccine mandates and social distancing rules, as well as Trump slamming Newsom for California's spiraling crime rate as a national crime wave spiked in 2020. Trump also frequently refers to the California Democrat as "Newscum" as an ongoing jab at the governor.
The pair, however, have most frequently and recently traded barbs over California's fire response, which came under fierce scrutiny in January when wildfires plagued the Los Angeles area and Trump pinned blame on Newsom.
"Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way," Trump posted to Truth Social as the fires raged just weeks ahead of Trump's inauguration.
"He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt, by giving it less water (it didn't work!), but didn't care about the people of California. Now the ultimate price is being paid. I will demand that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA! He is the blame for this. On top of it all, no water for fire hydrants, not firefighting planes. A true disaster!"
Newsom's office shot back that "there is no such document as the water restoration declaration – that is pure fiction. The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need."
Trump has a long history of putting Newsom's handling of wildfires under the microscope across his first four years in the White House, including in January 2019 when he threatened to cut off federal funds to California if reforms were not made to the state's forest management services.
"Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen," he posted to X that year. "Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA to send no more money. It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!"
Newsom and other Democrats have historically pushed back that wildfires in the state are due to climate change and global warming.
"You don't believe in climate change," Newsom shot back at Trump in 2019, for example, after the president slammed him for his wildfire leadership. "You are excused from this conversation."
The riots gripping LA following the massive Palisades wildfires in January stack the odds against a potential Newsom presidential run, other commenters argued on social media.
"Let's evaluate this, Gav. First... devastating fires due to you and your state's negligence. Second, riots... once again due to your love for illegals, sanctuary cities, etc. Your aspirations for 2028 have gone up in the flames you are responsible for," one social media commented posted to X on Monday.
"The LA fires and the LA riots have burned Newsom's chances of a successful presidential run to the ground," another X user posted.
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