California Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton blasted Gov. Gavin Newsom as "pathetic" and hypocritical Thursday, telling Newsmax's "National Report" that the Democrat's response to the federal government shutdown exposes the failures of his own policies.
"In California right now, we have people lining up from 5 p.m. the previous evening around the block, staying overnight to get food," Hilton said. "And now he's bragging about protecting food banks that are only needed because of his own policies."
Hilton's comments came after Newsom announced as much as $80 million in emergency state funding and ordered the California National Guard to assist food banks across the state amid anticipated disruptions to federal food aid from the ongoing government shutdown.
"When he does it, it's fine. When President [Donald] Trump does it, it's the end of democracy," Hilton said, calling Newsom's actions "pathetic."
He argued that the long food-bank lines — especially in the Central Valley — are symptoms of "the highest poverty rate in the country" and blamed Newsom's "policies" for driving up the cost of living. "Over one in three Californians can't afford their basic needs like food," Hilton said, citing high gas, electricity, housing, and mortgage costs.
Hilton also rejected Newsom's claim that the Guard's role is purely logistical.
"Open-air drug markets … 500 to 1,000 [dealers] at any one time on the streets of San Francisco, people dying on the streets," he said. "And he's saying, ‘We've got it all under control.' It's an absolute disgrace."
He added that Democrats "have no clue how to deal with these problems" and accused Newsom's party of being responsible for California's homelessness crisis, drug crime, and spiraling living costs.
According to the Newsom administration, the Guard's mission is to provide logistical help to food banks and maintain food access for low-income families while the shutdown delays federal programs. The state said it is fast-tracking $80 million in funding to support the effort.
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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