In recent weeks, California Governor Gavin Newsom has been employing a strategy of using potentially misleading and sometimes false crime data to argue that red states have more significant crime issues than California.
He has been asserting that crime in California's largest blue cities has allegedly decreased by double digits. This tactic has been particularly aimed at Louisiana, a red state and the home of House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA).
In a conversation with left-leaning YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen, Newsom stated, "I think [President Trump] should start with Shreveport, Louisiana, and Speaker Johnson's district, that has six-plus times the per capita murder rate of Nancy Pelosi's San Francisco. What about the carnage, Mr. President, in Shreveport? Why aren't you protecting the folks there?"
However, according to RedState, Newsom's statement was far from accurate. The majority of Shreveport falls within the district of Rep. Cleo Fields, a Democrat.
Newsom's sudden interest in crime-fighting has been met with skepticism, particularly from Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), who attributes this newfound focus to the "Trump Effect." This term refers to the phenomenon of Newsom being nationally shamed by the President into taking action.
"Now you don't have to be a senior at Caltech to know that [Newsom's law enforcement surge is] in response to the Trump administration's threat to send in federal law enforcement officials," Kennedy stated during a Fox News segment. "But look, I'll take it, if that's what it takes to get Gov. Newsom to stop being a princess, I'll take that, too."
Newsom responded to Kennedy's comments by asserting, without evidence, that "Weve been doing this work for years. Perhaps you should take a page out of our book. Your states homicide rate is 380% higher than Californias."
Kennedy, who has previously referred to Newsom as a "weenie," has responded to Newsom's attacks on his state in his unique style:
"I welcome help. I welcome federal help. I welcome more state help. I welcome local help. Come on down," Kennedy said. "Look, I've watched Gov. Newsom for years, and to quote one of my favorite columnists, he's put the funk into dysfunction. Every year that he's been governor, crime and violence has gotten worse in California. Why? Because Gov. Newsom is a member of the socialist wing of his party. Because Gov. Newsom has refused to get up off his ice-cold, lazy butt and do something about it."
Kennedy continued, "Because Gov. Newsom thinks that talking about crime - he's only doing it under pressure - is racist, because he thinks that cops are a bigger problem than criminals. But I wanna give him credit, maybe he's had a conversion, but he's doing the right thing by sending in California state police. And, you know, even a blind chicken finds a mealworm now and then."
Interestingly, the mayors of the top five cities in Louisiana for violent crime, including New Orleans, are Democrats, with the exception of Monroe, which has an independent mayor.
Critics have pointed out that California is grappling with its own issues, including homelessness, unemployment, and deteriorating urban conditions. They argue that Newsom should focus on these problems rather than criticizing other states.
As one critic put it, "Youve also been trying to solve homelessness for more than two decades and the only thing youve made disappear is 37 billion taxpayer dollars."
In light of these criticisms, it seems that Newsom may need to reassess his approach and focus on the issues within his own state. His attempts to shift the focus to other states may not be as effective as he hopes, particularly when those states are led by politicians who are not afraid to push back.
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