Gavin Newsom goes global: why US voters should beware

Gavin Newsom’s global travel itinerary looks more like that of a foreign minister than the governor of a state in crisis. Newsom was just in Munich, hobnobbing with world leaders, rather than home working to make life more affordable for those who elected him.The foreign photo-op is part of a pattern: The governor is all show, no action when it comes to delivering for Californians.In the last year alone, Newsom — perhaps with the 2028 presidential election in mind — has joined the World Economic Forum in Davos, trekked to the Amazon for the UN Climate Conference, and jetted off to Hong Kong in various attempts to make headlines. While the governor fashions himself a substitute diplomat on the world stage, the state he oversees is buckling under the weight of his neglect and failed progressive agenda. The most glaring indictment of Newsom’s tenure is the state’s poor fiscal health. Under his reign, Newsom managed to shift the state from a record $97 billion surplus to a deficit crisis. While the governor’s 2026 budget proposal attempts to frame the challenge as a “manageable” $2.9 billion shortfall, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office has painted a far bleaker picture, projecting an $18 billion deficit. This massive shortfall threatens essential services to those who need them most.This is not just bad luck with the markets; it is the result of a governor who expanded permanent social programs using temporary, volatile tax windfalls. Under Newsom, California is a place where only the ultra-wealthy or the heavily subsidized can afford to live. The state has a cost-of-living crisis that drives the middle class away, thanks to factors including:When Newsom boasts of “California values,” he speaks of a system that punishes middle class residents through high taxes and regulatory burdens, forcing them to flee to other states.  Nowhere is Newsom’s “all talk, no results” approach more visible than on the streets of California�...