Politics
Newsom attacks 'delusional California bashers' in unorthodox speech
Gov. Gavin Newsom took on “delusional California bashers” and lauded the state’s economic prowess and inclusive values in an unorthodox State of the State speech that he shared in a video Tuesday on social media.
Repeating familiar tropes of past political speeches, Newsom cast the state as a force of light against dark conservative forces. He boasted about California’s work to protect civil rights and attacked Republicans in other states for “telling a woman she’s not in charge of her own body.”
“Our values and our way of life are the antidote to the poisonous populism of the right, and to the fear and anxiety that so many people are feeling today,” Newsom said. “People across the globe, they look to California and see what’s possible, and how we can live together and advance together and prosper together across every conceivable and imaginable difference.”
The prerecorded address marks the fourth year in a row that Newsom has broken the California tradition of the governor delivering the annual address to lawmakers at the state Capitol.
His GOP foes said the decision to reject the conventional setting again is an example of Newsom’s lack of commitment to the job as he expands his national profile.
“The governor has no respect for this institution,” said Assemblymember James Gallagher (R-Yuba City). “This governor acts like he’s too busy to do things that he’s supposed to do. He’s obviously able to do it in person.”
Newsom’s aides defended the governor, pointing out that the California Constitution only requires him to submit a written letter to the Legislature. Newsom invited lawmakers to a private reception at the governor’s mansion in Sacramento on Monday evening.
Prior governors have used the speech, which has been historically delivered in January, to outline their policy agenda for the year to lawmakers from both houses and political parties in the Assembly chamber. The typical address offers an opportunity to show deference to lawmakers, by appearing in person on their floor, and to gather their support for the work ahead.
But critics of the address call it a tired ritual in an era of one-party rule and say the value of the speech has been usurped by the budget, which has become the governor’s main avenue to drive policy change.
Newsom, who dislikes reading off teleprompters because of his dyslexia, has not delivered the State of the State in the Capitol since 2020. Newsom’s address was streamed the following year from an empty Dodger Stadium, a mass COVID-19 vaccination site where the number of seats offered a symbolic representation of the California lives lost in the pandemic at the time.
The governor in 2022 spoke from the headquarters of the California Natural Resources Agency in Sacramento, a 21-story environmentally friendly glass tower blocks from the Capitol, and promised gas rebates to taxpayers. Newsom declined to give a speech last year and instead opted for a statewide press tour, where he sprinkled policy announcements at stops from Sacramento to San Diego.
The governor’s office said Newsom wanted to deliver the speech in the chamber this year and struggled to find a date that worked with the Legislature.
The speech was initially slated for March 13. The address was rescheduled after Newsom’s bond measure to fund mental health services, Proposition 1, remained too close to call for two weeks after the March 5 primary election. His speech was rewritten with a plan to deliver it on March 18 and then delayed again.
Debates over how to solve California’s $46.8-billion budget deficit heated up the following month and continued until last week. Now lawmakers and the governor are staring down an impending deadline to qualify measures on the November ballot and negotiating with interest groups to rescind the initiatives they oppose.
Democratic Sen. Steve Glazer of Orinda was unfazed by Newsom’s nontraditional approach to the speech, saying simply that “we are in changing times,” and he respects the governor’s choice in how he delivers his message.
For one member of an earlier generation of lawmakers, though, Newsom’s video message came off like a snub.
“I hope it’s the last time it ever happens,” said Rusty Areias, who was a Democratic assemblyman in the 1980s and ’90s.
“It’s one of the things that members always look forward to. I understand the governor is very busy. I understand that there are national and international issues that are probably more important, but it is a tradition that in my mind is worth maintaining.”
In his address, Newsom touted his administration’s work to lessen homelessness and crime, two policy areas in which he’s most politically vulnerable.
“When it comes to America’s homeless problem, California’s detractors have similarly offered nothing but rhetoric, moaning and casting blame,” Newsom said. “No state, by the way, has done moreas California in addressing this pernicious problem of homelessness plaguing cities and towns.”
He pushed back on a narrative that California is “defunding the police,” saying the state is recruiting 1,000 California Highway Patrol officers and passing retail theft reforms this year.
In a lighter moment, he described the state as a “weird, wild, free-spirited” creative haven, home to the heavy metal band Metallica and rapper Kendrick Lamar and a place that invented “the popsicle, blue jeans and Barbie.”
Newsom’s speech alluded to the November presidential election, which he referred to as “another extraordinary moment in history — for California, for the country, and for the world.” He compared the moment to an “anxious” time in 1939, when then-California Gov. Culbert Olson in his inaugural address warned about the “the destruction of democracy” as fascism spread throughout Europe.
“We are presented with a choice between a society that embraces our values and a world darkened by division and discrimination,” Newsom said. “The economic prosperity, health, safety and freedom that we enjoy are under assault. Forces are threatening the very foundation of California’s success — our pluralism, our innovative spirit, and our diversity.”
Newsom is expected to travel to Atlanta this week to attend the presidential debate on Thursday as a surrogate for President Biden. The governor, who has built a reputation as a Democrat unafraid of taking the fight to Republicans, was invited by the Biden campaign to participate in media interviews before and after the debate to support the president and the party.
The governor used the speech to attack conservatives nationally over reproductive rights, an issue Democrats have tried to capitalize on in the election.
“When it comes to reproductive rights, their lies are designed to control,” Newsom said. “Their draconian policies are driving women to flee across state lines, as fugitives from laws written by men more than a hundred years ago. Some even go so far as to force victims of assault to give birth to their rapist’s babies.”
Sacramento Bureau Chief Laurel Rosenhall and staff writer Anabel Sosa contributed to this report.
Politics
White House mum amid outrage over data showing how many illegal immigrant criminals are free in US
The White House has yet to comment on new data released to lawmakers showing the number of illegal immigrants with convictions for sex offenses and homicide convictions who are not in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention.
The agency provided data to Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, about illegal immigrants with criminal charges or convictions. The data, as of July 2024, is broken down by those in detention and those who are not in detention, known as the non-detained docket.
The non-detained docket includes noncitizens who have final orders of removal or are going through removal proceedings but are not in ICE custody.
There are more than 7.4 million people on that docket, up from around 3.7 million when former President Trump left office.
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT, MURDER CONVICTIONS ROAMING US STREETS: ICE DATA
U.S. Border Patrol agents at the U.S. and Mexico border fence in Calexico, Calif. ( Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The data shows that, among those not in detention, there are 425,431 convicted criminals and 222,141 with pending criminal charges. The data does not reveal how many of those criminals are recent arrivals.
For comparison, in August 2016, toward the end of the Obama administration, ICE said there were about 2.2 million noncitizens on the non-detained docket and about 368,574 were convicted criminals.
In the latest data, the criminals include 62,231 convicted of assault, 14,301 convicted of burglary, 56,533 with drug convictions and 13,099 convicted of homicide. An additional 2,521 have kidnapping convictions, and 15,811 have sexual assault convictions. There are an additional 1,845 with pending homicide charges, 42,915 with assault charges, 3,266 with burglary charges and 4,250 with assault charges.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the data and whether it had been aware of the numbers. Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign also did not comment. Harris is at the southern border in Arizona.
Fox News Digital has also reached out to the Department of Homeland Security.
The news sparked outrage from Republicans, who tied the numbers to the policies of the Biden administration and those sanctuary jurisdictions who refuse to cooperate with ICE.
‘POLITICAL STUNT’: CRITICS DISMISS HARRIS’ EXPECTED ARIZONA BORDER VISIT AS IMMIGRATION REMAINS TOP ISSUE
Rep, Gonzales called the data “beyond disturbing” and said “it should be a wake-up call for the Biden-Harris administration and cities across the country that hide behind sanctuary policies.”
“It’s time for Washington to move past rhetoric and toward results. Americans deserve to feel safe in their communities. As an appropriator, I will do everything in my power to ensure ICE has the resources necessary to deport noncitizens with a criminal record. This must be a priority,” Gonzales said in a statement.
“The Biden-Harris administration also plays a part in cleaning up the mess their failed policies have created. They have the ear of sanctuary city mayors. It’s time to encourage them to reverse course and put the safety of American citizens first.”
Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green said the release of illegal immigrants into the U.S. “defies all common sense.”
Immigrants line up at a remote U.S. Border Patrol processing center after crossing the U.S.-Mexico in Lukeville, Ariz. (John Moore/Getty Images)
“This is madness. It is something no civilized, well-functioning society should tolerate,” he said.
In the letter to Gonzales, ICE took aim at so-called “sanctuary” cities that refuse to cooperate with federal law enforcement in deporting illegal immigrant criminals.
“ICE recognizes that some jurisdictions are concerned that cooperating with federal immigration officials will erode trust with immigrant communities and make it harder for local law enforcement to serve those populations. However, ‘sanctuary’ policies can end up shielding dangerous criminals, who often victimize those same communities,” it said.
It also stressed DHS’s efforts to remove illegal immigrants.
“From mid-May 2023 through the end of July 2024, DHS removed or returned more than 893,600 individuals, including more than 138,300 individuals in family units. The majority of all individuals encountered at the Southwest Border over the past three years have been removed, returned or expelled.”
In a statement on Saturday, DHS said the data was being “misinterpreted.”
“The data goes back decades; it includes individuals who entered the country over the past 40 years or more, the vast majority of whose custody determination was made long before this Administration,” a spokesperson said. “It also includes many who are under the jurisdiction or currently incarcerated by federal, state or local law enforcement partners.”
The administration has said it needs more funding and reforms from Congress to fix a “broken” immigration system, including via a bipartisan Senate bill introduced this year – which has been rejected by Republicans. DHS said that bill would have provided much-needed resources, including additional immigration enforcement agents and officers and additional detention resources.
It has also pointed to a sharp drop in arrivals since President Biden signed an executive order limiting asylum at the border in June. DHS also said it has removed over 180,000 noncitizens with criminal convictions since Jan. 2021.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS
The Biden administration has prioritized the removal of public safety and national security threats in narrowed priorities it released in 2021, but critics have linked those priorities with a drop in ICE removals.
Republicans have blamed the border crisis on the policies of the administration, including rolling back Trump policies that limited “catch and release.”
Asked about the increase in the non-detained docket this summer, a White House spokesperson pointed to that bill.
“Congressional Republicans had an opportunity to support the fairest and toughest set of reforms in decades, and they chose to put partisan political interests ahead of fixing our immigration system and securing our borders,” the spokesperson said.
“Congressional Republicans have proven that they do not care about securing our border because, frankly, if they did, they would have supported the bipartisan agreement.”
The data’s release comes as Harris visits the southern border in Arizona and seeks to present herself as tougher on the border than former President Trump, who she blames for the border bill not passing.
“Donald Trump tanked a bill to improve border security — just so he can win this election,” she said Friday. “As I have shown throughout my career, I won’t back down from my plan to make our border more secure.”
Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
Former NBC News star Brian Williams is finalizing a deal to anchor live coverage of the presidential election results for Amazon’s Prime Video, in the streamer’s first attempt at live news coverage, according to two people familiar with the plan.
Williams, 65, has been off of television since leaving his professional home of 28 years in 2021. He has spoken with a number of networks and streaming services about projects, but this is the first to come to fruition. He would be in his comfort zone at Prime Video, as he led NBC’s presidential election night programs in 2008 and 2012 and its cable network MSNBC’s coverage in 2016 and 2020.
A representative for Prime Video declined comment. But those briefed on the matter said a deal is imminent.
Deep-pocketed Amazon’s entry into live news coverage will not be a welcome development for the legacy TV networks, which are struggling to maintain their financial footing as audiences shift to streaming. Nearly every news operation is looking to cut costs after the 2024 election.
In recent years, Prime Video has become a powerhouse in live sports by carrying the NFL’s Thursday night games. It will also be the streaming platform for the NBA starting in the 2025-26 season. Live news could be the streamer’s next frontier.
But as of now, the election night program would be a one-time-only event and not part of a larger effort to get Prime Video into the TV news business, according to one person familiar with the discussions.
Amazon executives were persuaded to experiment with news as millions of young viewers who don’t watch traditional TV are expected to participate in the election between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump. Many of them are turning to TikTok and YouTube as information sources.
Prime Video’s election coverage will originate from Amazon’s studio in Culver City and start streaming live starting an hour before the polls close Nov. 5. The plan is to keep Williams on the stream until a winner is called, although there is a possibility of a close race that could take several days to sort out.
Prime Video does not have its own news operation. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post, but the newspaper would not be formally involved in the project. Jonathan Wald, a veteran TV news producer and executive who worked closely with Williams at NBC, would oversee the production.
The program would be different from traditional election coverage. The operation supporting Williams would not have a decision desk that examines data and calls winners. Prime Video would depend on the state-by-state calls made by the Associated Press.
Prime Video’s coverage will be closer in style to the nightly MSNBC program “The 11th Hour With Brian Williams,” where the anchor debriefed reporters, historians and pundits on the day’s events. Williams gained a strong following among viewers who tuned in for his sharp wit and breezy conversational approach to topics.
“The 11th Hour” also rehabilitated Williams’ career. He moved to MSNBC in 2015 following a scandal over false statements he made about his experiences covering the Iraq war, which cost him the prestigious anchor position at “NBC Nightly News” he held for 10 years.
Politics
FLASHBACK: Arizona Dem Senate candidate called Trump voters 'dumb': 'Worst people in the world'
A House Democrat running for Senate in a key swing state bashed voters who supported then-President-elect Donald Trump in a resurfaced interview.
“I think Donald Trump ran a xenophobic campaign that drew out the worst people in the world that we are not going to appeal to and never will,” Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said in a 2016 interview directly after Trump won the presidential election.
Gallego also said in the interview that he will try to “protect” Americans from the policies of Trump, including those who were “dumb enough” to vote for him.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Gallego campaign for comment but did not receive a response.
ENIGMATIC VOTER GROUP COULD SPLIT TICKET FOR TRUMP, DEM SENATE CANDIDATE IN ARIZONA
Rep. Ruben Gallego bashed then-President-elect Donald Trump supporters in a 2016 interview. (Getty Images)
“Ruben Gallego thinks you are a bad person if you support President Trump,” NRSC spokesperson Tate Mitchell told Fox News Digital. “Gallego is running to be a Senator for the far-left, not all of Arizona.”
The presidential race in Arizona is expected to be one of the closest in the country with the Real Clear Politics (RCP) average showing Trump with a tight lead, but the RCP average also shows that Gallego has a lead over his GOP opponent, Kari Lake.
On the campaign trail, Gallego has been a fierce critic of Trump despite the former president’s popularity in the state.
ARIZONA POLICE ORG ENDORSING TRUMP CROSSES AISLE TO BACK PROGRESSIVE DEM IN CLOSE SENATE RACE
Rep. Ruben Gallego. (Getty Images)
Gallego called Trump a “craven politician” in an interview with MSNBC earlier this year and has routinely gone after the former president on social media, including posts suggesting Trump and Lake are threats to democracy.
Lake has made the case on the campaign trail that Gallego is a rubber stamp for a Biden-Harris administration.
“President Trump’s consistently strong lead in Arizona proves that Arizonans are tired of and dissatisfied with the policies of Kamala Harris and Ruben Gallego that have caused record-high inflation and made our state less safe by opening the border to millions of unchecked illegal immigrants,” a Lake spokesperson told Fox News Digital earlier this year.
“As voters learn the truth about Gallego’s voting record and the fact that he has voted for Biden-Harris policies 100% of the time, they will reject Radical Ruben just as they reject Kamala Harris.”
U.S. Senate Candidate Kari Lake (R-AZ) speaks during Day 2 of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on July 16, 2024. (REUTERS/Mike Segar)
The Cook Political Report ranks the Arizona Senate race as “Lean Democrat.”
Fox News Digital’s Julia Johnson contributed to this report
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