A primetime address to Californians was nearly inaudible due to Governor Gavin Newsom’s team not ensuring that he was properly equipped with a microphone.
On Tuesday, Newsom expressed his frustration regarding President Donald Trump’s decision to circumvent his authority by mobilizing 4,000 members of the California National Guard to address the riots that have been affecting Los Angeles for almost a week. The eight-minute address was ostensibly intended to establish the Democrat as a leading state-level adversary to the president; however, technical issues undermined his presentation as a viable contender for primetime.
The initial four minutes of Newsom’s address were broadcast as a distorted jumble, fluctuating between static and silence while broadcasters attempted to identify the cause of the issue.
“It’s unclear if the problem lies with the governor’s equipment, but we are working to restore the production so that you can hear it,” stated one anchor from CBS Los Angeles shortly after Newsom appeared on camera. “We are making efforts to retrieve the audio of Governor Newsom’s address.”
On Fox L.A., anchor Elex Michaelson noted that the feed was equally inconsistent, a point that Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton seized upon during his appearance.
“He simply cannot get anything correct,” Hilton remarked, posting on X that Newsom’s address was a “chaotic, muddled disaster.”
In his eight-minute speech, Newsom criticized Trump for his “inflammatory” actions, which he claimed have incited violence in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, Mayor Karen Bass enforced an 8 p.m. curfew, and by Wednesday morning, the majority of the streets were peaceful as thousands of National Guardsmen and Marines positioned themselves throughout the city.
“This isn’t merely about protests occurring in Los Angeles,” Newsom stated. “This concerns all of us. This is about you. California may be the first, but it certainly will not conclude here. Other states will follow. Democracy is at stake. Democracy is being threatened right before our eyes.”
Despite facing technical challenges, it is evident that Newsom is striving to bolster the anti-Trump sentiment among the left. Following his speech, the Wall Street Journal referred to him as “the leader of the opposition,” and liberal media figure Ana Navarro praised him during her Tuesday evening segment on CNN.
“I have been longing for someone who is not cowardly, who does not bend the knee and sell out to Donald Trump while he continues to undermine America,” she remarked.
The conflict escalated when President Trump threatened to arrest Newsom for obstructing federal immigration operations in the city, a threat that Newsom — recognizing that the spectacle of arresting Trump would only enhance his standing in the polls — seemed keen to consider.
From the White House, Trump’s aides took the address seriously. Spokespersons Steven Cheung and Deputy Alex Pfeiffer both criticized Newsom on social media for his remarks, as did Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.
The president’s swift response account additionally stated that Newsom asserted Trump was “traumatizing” communities “by removing criminal illegal immigrant murderers, rapists, gang members, drug traffickers, human traffickers, and domestic violence offenders from the streets.”
The forthcoming phase of the state-federal conflict may involve California’s financial support. According to Politico, Trump seems to be contemplating the reduction of federal education funding to Newsom’s state, as well as the cancellation of its leading vehicle emissions regulations.
