Newsom Gives Update On Wildfires

By
Gregory McMullen
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California Governor Gavin Newsom has been under fire—literally and figuratively—for his handling of the devastating wildfires that have ravaged the Los Angeles area. But this week, his response to the crisis took an awkward and downright bizarre turn. In a moment that has since gone viral, Newsom, while standing among the charred ruins of Pacific Palisades, inexplicably broke into a shoulder-shimmying dance as he discussed the state’s plans to combat land speculators. Yes, you read that correctly—amid one of the worst wildfire crises in California’s history, Newsom decided to channel his inner boy-band member, complete with a toothy grin and a strange bit of choreography.

It’s hard to know where to begin with this. Newsom’s tenure has been plagued by missteps, scandals, and a lack of accountability, and the wildfires have only shone a brighter spotlight on his leadership failures. He’s been fact-checked on live TV for claiming California’s reservoirs were full (spoiler: one wasn’t), embroiled in controversy over asking donors to use ActBlue, and widely criticized for shrugging off questions about inoperable fire hydrants with dismissive comments like, “The local folks are gonna figure that out.” But this? This was something else entirely.

The moment came during an interview in which Newsom was ostensibly trying to reassure fire-stricken residents that his administration was taking steps to prevent land speculators from preying on displaced homeowners. “I was just talking to Josh Green, the governor of — down in Hawaii,” Newsom said, before flashing a grin and performing what can only be described as a shoulder-shifting shimmy. He continued, “He had some ideas about some land use concerns he has around speculators coming in, buying up properties and the like, so we’re already working with our legal teams to move those things forward.”

While his words were serious enough, the delivery was anything but. Social media quickly erupted, with commentators and meme-creators gleefully skewering the governor. Fox News contributor Raymond Arroyo even set the clip to music, jokingly asking if Newsom was “auditioning for a boy band.” Others compared the moment to a bongo-playing audition tape, as users turned the scene into a comedy routine.

But for many Californians, the humor only underscores their deep frustration with Newsom’s response to the fires. With over 12,000 structures destroyed, thousands of people displaced, and entire neighborhoods reduced to ash, this is not the time for awkward theatrics or misplaced levity. As one resident put it, “We’re living through a profound tragedy, and he’s out here acting like he’s on a late-night talk show.”

To make matters worse, Newsom’s lack of substantive leadership in this crisis is nothing new. Over the years, his administration has been marked by a series of high-profile failures, from mismanaged water resources to rolling blackouts and a spiraling homelessness crisis. During this wildfire season, his handling of disaster preparedness has come under intense scrutiny, with critics pointing to his administration’s failure to address longstanding issues like forest management, water infrastructure, and emergency response systems. And let’s not forget the nearly $18 million in cuts to fire department budgets during his watch, which L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley has said “severely limited” the state’s capacity to fight fires and protect communities.

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