Gavin Newsom’s Leadership Fallacy: How He Let California Down and Jeopardized His Political Future
The emperor stands bare — devoid of empathy.
Yet, it’s probable he maintains his reservation at the French Laundry.
Yes, I am referring to Gavin Newsom.
The pompous and ambitious progressive California Governor whose political aspirations have been scorched as Los Angeles crumbles, leaving countless residents grappling with devastation.
Newsom has taken on the role of the arsonist, igniting his political demise through a series of avoidable blunders — capping years of mismanagement while neglecting essential infrastructure in favor of ineffective leftist policies that merely comforted social justice and climate warriors.
Since the wildfires erupted, Newsom has displayed a lack of preparedness and shamelessness: deflecting accountability and attempting to sidestep a devastated constituent.
It appears he and the woefully ineffective Karen “I’d rather be in Ghana” Bass made a reckless pact for political suicide in 2025.
When Pacific Palisades ignited, Anderson Cooper questioned Newsom about the dry hydrant issue. Rather than take responsibility, he shifted the blame.
“Look, the local folks are trying to figure that out,” he told Cooper.
In reality, Governor, you should have ensured that the local folks had everything in order, as the risks were widely acknowledged.
The responsibility begins at the top, even if it’s labeled a “local” matter. This catastrophic inferno was not some unexpected incident in a remote area; it unfolded in Los Angeles, a city of millions, constantly facing the threat of wildfires.
He then cowardly attempted to fabricate a phone call to evade an anguished mother sifting through her community’s ashes.
“Governor! Governor! I live here, Governor! That was my daughter’s school!” cried Pacific Palisades resident Rachel Dervish, chasing Newsom as he tried to escape into his SUV.
“I’m literally speaking to the president right now to answer your question about what we can do for you and your daughter,” he claimed, with all the audacity of Jan Brady who pretends to chat with an imaginary friend, George Glass.
When Dervish challenged him to prove the call was legitimate, saying, “because I don’t believe it,” Newsom, clearly not containing a call, changed his story. He insisted he was trying to reach Joe but had no service, claiming he had attempted five times while searching for a signal.
She continued to press him regarding the lack of water in the hydrants.
“Why was there no water in the hydrants, Governor? Will it be different next time?” she demanded.
“It has to be, it has to be, of course,” he replied when she stated he was doing nothing.
She was desperate, grieving, and like many in her community, livid.
Amid red flag warnings, Bass was in Africa and Newsom was absent. Why wasn’t he overseeing their readiness and ensuring their water supply was sufficient?
Natural disasters are an inevitability in the Golden State, and while we can’t predict Mother Nature, we can certainly prepare and minimize the damage from her fury.
Take Ron DeSantis as an example; every year, he faces a destructive hurricane season. He excels as a crisis manager, preparing for the worst, rallying resources, and effectively communicating with Floridians.
He seems to thrive on the specifics, the foresight, and the aftermath, assisting residents in returning to normalcy swiftly.
The act of governance isn’t glamorous; just look at the Florida Governor’s embarrassingly unflattering white rain boots. He is no Karl Lagerfeld.
Newsom, in contrast, is polished and charismatic. Yet, he is hollow and ineffective. He excels in expressing platitudes about diversity and inclusion, hyper-focusing on “marginalized communities,” including the threatened Delta carp, as noted by Trump.
Despite his rhetoric on acceptance, he was cold and dismissive to Dervish. Sometimes, true leadership involves listening and providing a compassionate response — blending confidence with empathy.
It’s a lesson George W. Bush learned when he stood on the rubble at Ground Zero, stating, “I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you.”
Newsom, once prominently positioned within the Democratic presidential hierarchy, has utterly failed this critical moment on both political and human levels.
Voters will remember.
