Gov. Newsom's potential presidential aspirations are over due to his handling of the LA riots, conservative critics say. (Getty Images )
"Notice how Newsom has no adverse commentary about the rioters – he saves all his venom for American authorities," author and retired Army Col. James Hutton posted to X Sunday. "This is why he has no chance to be president one day. Most Americans tend to believe in this country."
Many critics of the riots unfolding in Los Angeles argued that photos of the scene would live in infamy and dash any hopes Newsom may hold on running for president. Some users remarked that the photos depicting rioters surrounded by flames and smoke while waving a Mexican flag "will cost Newsom his 2028 presidential run," and that the Trump administration "couldn't have asked for better" representation of California politics captured in photos.
A protester waves the Mexican flag in front of a burning Waymo vehicle during an anti-ICE protest in downtown Los Angeles on June 8, 2025. (Getty Images)
Newsom is viewed as a potential leader of the Democratic Party as it navigates its future following the disastrous 2024 election cycle that saw President Joe Biden exit the race just over 100 days from Election Day and former Vice President Kamala Harris fail to rally support against now-President Donald Trump. The Democratic governor has not yet said whether he would launch a presidential run in 2028.
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Riots broke out in the left-wing city Friday evening after federal law enforcement officials converged on Los Angeles to carry out immigration raids as part of Trump's vow to deport illegal aliens who flooded the nation under the Biden administration. Local leaders such as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Newsom, however, quickly denounced the raids in public statements while offering words of support for illegal immigrants in the state.
Protests over the raids soon devolved into violence as rioters targeted federal law enforcement officials, including launching rocks at officials, as well as videos showing people looting local stores, setting cars on fire and taking over a freeway.
"Palisades Fire" near Brentwood neighborhood in Los Angeles, Jan. 11, 2025. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Newsom's office shot back that "there is no such document as the water restoration declaration – that is pure fiction. The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need."
Trump has a long history of putting Newsom’s handling of wildfires under the microscope across his first four years in the White House, including in January 2019 when he threatened to cut off federal funds to California if reforms were not made to the state’s forest management services.
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"Billions of dollars are sent to the State of California for Forest fires that, with proper Forest Management, would never happen," he posted to X that year. "Unless they get their act together, which is unlikely, I have ordered FEMA to send no more money. It is a disgraceful situation in lives & money!"
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's potential White House run is up in smoke after his handling of the LA riots, critics claim. (Mike Blake/File Photo/Reuters)
Newsom and other Democrats have historically pushed back that wildfires in the state are due to climate change and global warming.
"You don’t believe in climate change," Newsom shot back at Trump in 2019, for example, after the president slammed him for his wildfire leadership. "You are excused from this conversation."
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The riots gripping LA following the massive Palisades wildfires in January stack the odds against a potential Newsom presidential run, other commenters argued on social media.
"Let's evaluate this, Gav. First... devastating fires due to you and your state's negligence. Second, riots... once again due to your love for illegals, sanctuary cities, etc. Your aspirations for 2028 have gone up in the flames you are responsible for," one social media commented posted to X on Monday.
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"The LA fires and the LA riots have burned Newsom's chances of a successful presidential run to the ground," another X user posted.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/newsoms-political-future-practically-nonexistent-la-devolves-riots-social-media-critics-predict