In what must surely rank as a triumph of hope over experience, former Vice President Kamala Harris leads the Democratic field of contenders for governor of California if she entered the Golden State’s 2026 race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), polling shows.
The post Poll: Kamala Harris Is Lead Democratic Contender for 2026 California Governor appeared first on Breitbart.
A California budget official revealed this week that taxpayers in the Democrat-run state are paying billions of dollars more on healthcare for illegal immigrants than previously known.
Guadalupe Manriquez, the California Department of Finance program budget manager, told the state Assembly Budget Committee Monday the state is "spending $9.5 billion total funds" to "cover undocumented individuals in Medi-Cal" in the current year.
Manriquez explained that this is a "revised number based on the governor’s budget-updated estimates," adding the earlier figure was from the earlier "budget act."
"Of the $9.5 billion, $8.4 billion is general fund," she said.
Republican Assemblyman Carl DeMaio noted that the cost of healthcare for illegal immigrants could be enough to help solve some of the state’s budget woes and "avoid going into the rainy day fund," The Center Square reported. He said the number originally floated was roughly $6 billion.
A new state law enacted at the start of 2024 ensures that "immigration status doesn't matter" for those looking to apply for taxpayer-backed insurance, according to the state's health department website.
California Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital in a statement that gutting the insurance availability for illegal immigrants would make a significant dent in the state’s deficit.
"California’s budget is $30 billion in the red, but instead of tightening its belt, Sacramento is doubling down on reckless spending," the Republican said.
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"The state is shelling out $9.5 billion on healthcare for illegal immigrants while emergency rooms overflow, hospitals teeter on the brink and working Californians struggle to see a doctor," he continued. "Rather than making responsible choices, leaders are raiding the rainy-day fund to keep the spending spree going. This isn’t just a budget crisis — it’s a complete failure of leadership."
Democratic Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo said during the hearing that healthcare costs are a major target of the new administration, which leads to uncertainty for the state.
"We know that today unelected Elon Musk and DOGE have taken their sights to Medicare and Medicaid, which is Medi-Cal here in California. And that is, you know, well over half of our budget," the lawmaker said.
The spending discussion comes at a time when the federal government is conducting a major crackdown on illegal immigration, including raids done by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and much stricter policies at the border itself.
Steve Hilton, founder of Golden Together and a Fox News contributor, said it's "yet another example of California Democrats' totally wrong priorities."
"Here's yet another example of California Democrats' totally wrong priorities. They have nearly doubled the state budget in the last ten years, yet over a third of Californians cannot meet their basic needs," Hilton said.
"We have the highest poverty rate in America. We pay the highest taxes and get the worst results. People are asking, "Where did all our money go?" And here's the answer: ideological obsessions like this — free healthcare for people who are here illegally. People have had enough of all this. There's going to be change in California sooner than people think."
President Donald Trump could claw back $4.3 billion in unspent federal funds for California's high-speed rail project, just as he froze $1 billion for the perpetually delayed and derailed project during his first term as president.
The post Report: Trump Could Claw Back $4.3 Billion in Unspent High-Speed Rail Funds from California appeared first on Breitbart.
Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to stage a photo-op Tuesday afternoon to mark the start of debris removal after the Palisades Fire -- even though the state government has little to do with it.
The post California Gov. Gavin Newsom to Stage Photo-Op to Mark Start of Federal Debris Removal; Update: No Newsom appeared first on Breitbart.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed two bills providing $50 million to fight President Donald Trump's policies -- after returning from a trip to Washington, DC, where he sought federal aid money for recent wildfires in his state.
The post Newsom Signs $50 Million to Fight Trump — After Asking for Federal Aid for Fires appeared first on Breitbart.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) plans to ban the use of plants within five feet of residential homes in what are designated as "fire-prone" areas -- which could include much of the state of California, given the recent wildfires.
The post Gavin Newsom to Ban Plants Within 5 Feet of Homes in Fire-Prone Areas appeared first on Breitbart.
The right thing to do -- the manly thing, if one can still say that -- would be for Newsom to veto the $50 million and concede that maybe now is not the time to be poking President Donald Trump and federal taxpayers in the eye.
The post Blue State Blues: Gavin Newsom Can Still Veto His Incredibly Stupid Anti-Trump Bills appeared first on Breitbart.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the $50 million special legislative "Trump-proofing" package which he proposed for Democrats to pass following President Donald Trump's election.
Newsom said the bill will "bolster funding for legal services programs that are vital to safeguarding the civil rights of California's most vulnerable residents, including people with disabilities, youth who are homeless, victims of human trafficking and wage theft, people facing unlawful evictions, immigrants and more.
"None of the funding in this bill is intended to be used for immigration-related legal services for noncitizens convicted of serious or violent felonies," he added in a signing statement.
The package, which was passed by the state Senate and Assembly, allocates $25 million to the California Department of Justice to support legal battles against Trump's federal policies, including environmental regulations and illegal immigration. An additional $25 million is designated for legal aid groups to assist illegal immigrants facing potential deportation.
Newsom lobbed hundreds of lawsuits against the Trump administration during Trump's first term.
While Newsom is gearing up for potential showdowns with the Trump administration, he has also been working with Trump to secure federal disaster relief for the Los Angeles wildfires. Trump visited California in late January to meet with Newsom, and Newsom traveled to Washington, D.C., in early February for another round of discussions with the president.
"We’re working across the aisle, as we always have, to ensure survivors have the resources and support they need," Newsom said in a statement on Wednesday. "Thank you President Trump for coming to our communities to see this first hand, and meeting with me today to continue our joint efforts to support people impacted."
NEWSOM PROPOSES $25M FROM STATE LEGISLATURE TO 'TRUMP-PROOF' CALIFORNIA
Trump hit back at Newsom after he announced the special legislative session in November, saying on his Truth Social account, "He is using the term 'Trump-Proof' as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to 'Make California Great Again,' but I just overwhelmingly won the Election."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Governor Gavin Newsom is heading to the White House on Wednesday to ask President Donald Trump for federal money to address California's wildfires, after state legislators passed $50 million to fund anti-Trump measures.
The post Gavin Newsom Goes to White House to Beg for Federal Money After Legislature Passes Anti-Trump Spending appeared first on Breitbart.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump — who have very visibly traded political fire but who also have worked together — meet at the White House on Wednesday as the California governor fights to secure more money for people and businesses devastated following last month's deadly wildfires in metropolitan Los Angeles.
The trip is the first by Newsom to Washington, D.C., since Trump took over in the White House and is part of his efforts to obtain additional federal funding to aid in wildfire recovery from the horrific blazes that killed 29 people and destroyed over 12,000 homes and forced tens of thousands to evacuate.
Newsom arrived in the nation's capital on the eve of his visit to the White House, and hours ahead of the meeting he headed to Capitol Hill to hold separate meetings with members of Congress.
The governor traveled east a day after California lawmakers approved $25 million in legal funding proposed by the Democratic governor to challenge actions by the Trump administration. And the legislature also allocated another $25 million for legal groups to defend undocumented immigrants facing possible deportation by new Trump administration efforts.
Newsom came to Washington, D.C., hat in hand.
Late last month, the governor approved $2.5 billion for fire recovery work, which he hopes will be reimbursed by the federal government.
And the state will likely need much more help from the federal government, as the bill to cover rebuilding costs is expected to reach into the tens of billions of dollars.
"The Governor’s trip is focused on securing critical disaster aid for the survivors of the Los Angeles fires and ensuring impacted families who lost their homes and livelihoods have the support they need to rebuild and recover," spokesperson Izzy Gardon said in a statement.
After the outbreak of the fires early last month, Trump repeatedly criticized Newsom's handling of the immense crisis. He has accused the governor of mismanaging forestry and water policy and, pointing to intense backlash over a perceived lack of preparation, called on Newsom to step down.
"Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!" Trump charged in a social media post on Jan. 8, as he repeated a derogatory name he often labels the governor.
Trump also placed blame for the deadly wildfires on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, another Democrat, and the policies approved by state lawmakers in heavily blue California. In an executive order issued last month, he described management of the state's land and water resources as "disastrous."
Newsom — the governor of the nation's most populous state, one of the Democratic Party's leaders in the resistance against the returning president and a potential White House contender in 2028 — pushed back against Trump, as the two larger-than-life politicians traded fire.
Disputing Trump, the governor noted that reservoirs in the southern part of California were full when the fires first sparked, and has argued that no amount of water could tackle fires fueled by winds of up to 100 miles per hour.
Newsom also charged Trump had spread "hurricane-force winds of mis- and disinformation."
NEWSOM CALLS TRUMP'S CLAIMS 'PURE FICTION' AFTER HE POINTED FINGER OVER CALIFORNIA FIRE TRAGEDY
Trump met with Newsom as he arrived in Los Angeles late last month — just four days after his inauguration as president — to survey the fire damage.
Trump had threatened to withhold wildfire aid until certain stipulations were met in California, including changes to water policy and requiring an ID to vote, but now appears willing to work with Newsom.
"Thank you first for being here. It means a great deal to all of us," Newsom told Trump as he greeted the president upon his arrival in Los Angeles last month. "We’re going to need your support. We’re going to need your help."
The president declared that "we're looking to get something completed. And the way you get it completed is to work together."
The wildfires are far from the first time Newsom and Trump took aim at each other. Their animosity dated back to before Trump was elected president the first time in 2016, when Newsom was California's lieutenant governor.
The verbal fireworks continued over the past two years, as Newsom served as a top surrogate on the campaign trail for former President Joe Biden and then former Vice President Kamala Harris, who replaced Biden as the Democrats' 2024 standard-bearer last summer.
Following Trump's convincing election victory over Harris in November, Newsom moved to "Trump-proof" his heavily blue state.
"He is using the term ‘Trump-Proof’ as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to ‘Make California Great Again,’ but I just overwhelmingly won the Election," Trump responded.
Since their meeting in Los Angeles, Newsom has appeared to be more restrained in his criticism of Trump.
Following Trump's orders, the US Army Corps of Engineers last week opened two dams in Central California, letting roughly 2.2 billion gallons of water flow out of reservoirs.
Trump celebrated the move in posts to Truth Social post on Friday and Sunday, declaring, "the water is flowing in California," and adding the water was "heading to farmers throughout the State, and to Los Angeles."
But water experts argue that the newly released water won't flow to Los Angeles, and it is being wasted by being released during California's normally wet winter season.
Newsom, apparently aiming to rebuild the working relationship he had with Trump during the president's first term in the White House, didn't raise any objections to the water release.
Fox News' Christina Shaw, Elizabeth Pritchett, Pat Ward, and Lee Ross contributed to this story.
While legislators in the Democratic trifecta are trying to pass bills to "Trump-proof" the state, California Republican Kate Sanchez plans to introduce a bill that would crack down on what may be a "sanctuary state" loophole protecting criminal illegal immigrants involved in sex-trafficking minors.
"It would eliminate all of the unnecessary restrictions for local law enforcement to cooperate with federal law enforcement in order to go after those that have been accused or convicted of sex trafficking of minors, and currently there is a clause that they cannot communicate as openly as possible," Sanchez told Fox News Digital in an interview.
These restrictions are part of California's "sanctuary state" policies, which are designed to limit state and local law enforcement's involvement in federal immigration enforcement. For her part, the specific provisions that Sanchez wants to amend are found in the California Values Act (SB 54), which was enacted in 2017, that restricts local law enforcement agencies from using resources to investigate, interrogate, detain, detect or arrest individuals for immigration enforcement purposes.
There are exceptions in SB 54 for individuals convicted of certain serious or violent crimes. However, sex trafficking is not always classified as a violent felony under California law – making it so that some convicted sex traffickers may not meet the criteria for local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration authorities – potentially thwarting deportation efforts.
Sanchez argues this creates a loophole that could allow illegal immigrants who are involved in sex trafficking to remain in the U.S. after serving their sentence. In 2023, Newsom signed Senate Bill 14 (SB 14), reclassifying the trafficking of a minor as a "serious" felony, but other forms of human trafficking may still not be considered violent felonies under state law.
"So, we want to make sure we remove that piece of the penal code and allow them to communicate and do their job fully," Sanchez said.
'DEVASTATING': CALIFORNIA HAD RECORD RAINFALL LAST YEAR, BUT LACKED INFRASTRUCTURE TO STORE IT
Sanchez's bill may align well with President Donald Trump's mass deportation plan currently underway, but it faces an uphill battle in her state legislature, which is dominated by Democrats. Currently, Democratic assemblymembers – in collaboration with Newsom – are trying to pass a series of bills that would bolster the state's legal defense against the Trump administration. The State Senate already passed the bills last week.
Democrats were set to pass the $50 million special session bill Thursday, but Assembly lawmakers reportedly blocked the package over concerns that there may be changes that need to be made to the immigration-related proposal. At issue is Newsom's $25 million allocation for nonprofit organizations to defend illegal immigrants from deportation, and whether those funds would be used as well for criminal illegal immigrants.
Newsom's office told Fox News Digital previously that no funds would go to criminal illegal immigrants.
NEWSOM PROPOSES $25M FROM STATE LEGISLATURE TO 'TRUMP-PROOF' CALIFORNIA
Newsom called a special legislative session quickly after Trump's electoral victory to secure additional funding for the state's legal defense against the administration. Reacting to the development on his TruthSocial account at the time, Trump said, "He is using the term 'Trump-Proof' as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to 'Make California Great Again,' but I just overwhelmingly won the Election."
Sanchez – who says she has been shut out of the legislature's Hispanic Caucus because she's a Republican – said the legislature should be focusing on "fireproofing" the state, or rather, "Newsom-proofing California."
"Take it for what it's worth, but I genuinely feel like there are victims and there are people in need that we should be advocating for protecting our most vulnerable, protecting the innocence of our children," Sanchez said. "It is an uphill battle in Sacramento, but I do feel the tide is turning, and I know we will be looking to our federal counterparts to be helpful in this matter as well."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom's office for comment.
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will hold a hearing next week addressing overregulation in California following the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, stating California’s "onerous regulatory regime" may have worsened the disaster, Fox News Digital has learned.
The "California Fires and the Consequences of Overregulation" hearing will examine the real impacts of regulatory policy on the prevention of natural disasters, particularly in the case of California's wildfires, according to a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.
It will also address how excessive regulation on insurance and permitting serves as a roadblock to those recovering from disasters.
Cal Fire reported more than 12,000 homes, businesses and schools were lost to the fires and more than 100,000 people have had to leave their homes.
KELSEY GRAMMER SAYS CALIFORNIA LAWMAKERS 'TOOK THEIR EYE OFF THE BALL' IN WILDFIRES CATASTROPHE
Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, described current disaster regulations as a "nightmare."
"Democrat-run California's excessive regulations make preventing and recovering from natural disasters a nightmare," he said.
LOS ANGELES WILDFIRES: SECOND CALIFORNIA REAL ESTATE AGENT CHARGED WITH PRICE GOUGING VICTIMS
Jordan added that California needs a streamlined process, as suggested by President Donald Trump, to remove regulation and ensure citizens can rebuild and prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis., said the wildfires were a preventable tragedy, and Congress must examine whether California’s "onerous regulatory regime" worsened the disaster.
"For years, California’s liberal government has prioritized environmental activism over effective forest management and disaster mitigation. Meanwhile, the politicization of their state insurance regulator has driven insurers out of the state and forced taxpayers to foot the bill," Fitzgerald said.
Witnesses will include Steve Hilton, founder of Golden Together; Steven Greenhut, resident senior fellow and western region director of state affairs for the R Street Institute; and Edward Ring, director of water and energy policy for the California Policy Center, according to the statement.
The hearing is scheduled for Feb. 6 at 10 a.m.
Jason Oppenheim, star of the Netflix reality TV series "Selling Sunset," now regrets voting for Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom after his friend experienced a burglary.
The post ‘Selling Sunset’ Star Jason Oppenheim Regrets Newsom Vote After Friend Burglarized, Slams Police Defunding appeared first on Breitbart.
California Republican Rep. Bill Essayli is seeking answers from liberal Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration about whether bills introduced in the legislature's special session to "Trump-proof" the state would thwart the president's mass deportation program.
During a hearing on Tuesday to discuss two bills that Newsom has proposed, which allocates a $50 million initiative to bolster the state's legal defenses against anticipated federal policies from President Donald Trump's administration, Essayli questioned officials from Newsom's office about whether the funds would be used "to defend illegal immigrants from deportation."
"It's not very clear to me, but basically, these groups provide free legal services to illegal immigrants," Essayli told Fox News Digital in an interview. "And what I wanted to know is, if they're going to be defending illegal immigrants from deportation who have criminal records, and they could not answer the question. I think the answer is, absolutely they are."
During the hearing, Essayli asked one of Newsom's officials if the money would be used to defend criminal illegal immigrants from deportation.
"Assembly member, as a budget staffer, I can only tell you what the grant is for, I don't know that I can get you that level of guarantee," she responded.
She later added she's "not certain about that" when asked further if any funds given to nonprofit organizations would go to defending criminal illegal immigrants.
Newsom's proposal includes earmarking $25 million to the California Department of Justice to enhance its capacity to sue the Trump administration over policies that could "harm Californians," including environmental regulations and abortion access. An additional $25 million is designated for nonprofit organizations to defend "immigrant families."
'DEVASTATING': CALIFORNIA HAD RECORD RAINFALL LAST YEAR, BUT LACKED INFRASTRUCTURE TO STORE IT
"All of this is for show, just to say, ‘Oh, we had a public hearing on these bills,’ and then we're supposed to vote," Essayli said. "We didn't get any questions answered."
Spokesperson for Newsom's office, Brandon Richards, told Fox News Digital in a statement that "none of this funding will be used to support immigration-related services for criminals. Period."
Fox News Digital followed up with Newsom's office inquiring whether funds would be used to defend any illegal immigrants in California from deportation. In response, Richards repeated his previous statement.
The Trump administration has been moving full steam ahead with first deporting illegal immigrants who have already been convicted of committing crimes. In the last week, the Department of Homeland Security said that "law enforcement officials have removed and returned 7,300 illegal aliens."
NEWSOM PROPOSES $25M FROM STATE LEGISLATURE TO 'TRUMP-PROOF' CALIFORNIA
Newsom called a special legislative session quickly after Trump's electoral victory to secure additional funding for the state's legal defense against the administration. Reacting to the development on his TruthSocial account at the time, Trump said, "He is using the term 'Trump-Proof' as a way of stopping all of the GREAT things that can be done to 'Make California Great Again,' but I just overwhelmingly won the Election."
The state has a history of legal battles with the Trump administration, having filed 123 lawsuits during his first term, primarily concerning environmental, illegal immigration and healthcare issues. California was also among the first states to establish itself as a "sanctuary state" for transgender transition treatments for minors, a practice that Trump barred from receiving federal support through an executive order on Wednesday.
The California Senate has already approved Newsom's proposal, and the Assembly will vote Thursday. If the Assembly passes the measures without amendments, they will be sent to Newsom's desk by Friday.
Fox News Digital's Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
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