In recent years, it frequently seems that California Governor Gavin Newsom is more focused on sparring with leaders of red states rather than concentrating on the welfare and prosperity of his own state’s residents and businesses.

The most notable of these altercations is his ongoing dispute with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. He has even suggested they face off in a debate to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of red versus blue states, slated for December 2023.

Lately, Newsom’s criticism has expanded to encompass President Donald Trump, perhaps as part of an effort to boost his national visibility ahead of a potential presidential bid in 2028. Given the challenges California faces under his leadership, including controversial stances on green energy and immigration, running solely on his state record could be difficult.

In fact, on illegals, the governor was forced into an embarrassing pickle of a situation back in May, when he had to leave out giving illegal aliens free healthcare at taxpayer expense from the state’s latest budget; California’s coffers just didn’t have the dough to cover it, it turns out.

It followed Newsom’s having to scrap a request to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the waning days of the Biden administration, which would have forced most trucks sold in the country to be built as EVs (electric vehicles).