Everything Our Governor Doesn’t Want Us Talking About

What do a conservative podcast episode, the announcement of In-N-Out opening an HQ in Tennessee, California’s latest bill on redistricting, a deadly car crash in Florida, and our Governor’s posts on X all have in common with each other? I believe there is a common thread connecting these stories that is very important for us to address, and that is the idea that when our government leaders show us who they are, we should believe them.

Let me just set the stage for why we should be talking about this now. The 2026 midterms are right around the corner. It is crucial that we are thinking about the qualities and traits that we want in our next leader – and not just in our governor, but in our other elected officials as well. We must exercise discernment when it comes to who we believe, support, advocate for, and ultimately vote for.

California offers us the perfect case study of what failed leadership looks like – leaders who dismiss their constituents’ concerns, deflect blame, and prioritize their image over their responsibility. And there is none other than our current sitting Governor, Gavin Newsom, who exemplifies this best for us. It is time that we look honestly at the good governor – not just at his beliefs on core issues (although of course those are super important) – but also at his character so that we can develop a framework by which we can discern exactly what we want, and even more so in his case, what we don’t want for the next several years of our state’s leadership.

And boy oh boy, do we have material to work with! To that end, let’s dive into the recent actions of our governor that will help us do just that. 

Governor Newsom x The Shawn Ryan Show

First up, you may have seen that Governor Newsom sat for a four-hour interview with Shawn Ryan – a conservative podcast host and US military veteran. Now, I don’t know how many of you watched the entire thing – I tried! I tried my hardest and I could not get past 30 minutes. But the reason I couldn’t get through the entire interview is because of all the lying, refusing to answer a simple question, and complete mental gymnastics that Newsom was doing to avoid taking responsibility for the way our state is. In just the first few minutes of the show, he forcefully dismissed concerns about Californians leaving the state. He called the “California exodus” narrative “complete bull” – bad word that I am not going to write out – which is completely crazy given that it is well known that California bleeds more people than it gains each year.

In fact, between 2010 and 2023, about 9.2 million people left California for other states, while only 6.7 million moved in – that’s a net loss of 2.5 million people over that prolonged time period.[1] More recently, in 2024, the state experienced net negative domestic migration of about 240,000 residents. The only reason that California even has an influx of people into the state at all each year is because of foreign immigration – meaning that the people who live in California leave the state, and the people who come to the state are moving in from other countries. I don’t think that’s as ridiculous of a problem as the governor just brushed it off to be. If the people who live in your state are consistently fleeing to more conservative states, shouldn’t you be asking yourself why? Wouldn’t you want to know what’s different about Texas or Florida or Tennessee that makes them more appealing than one of the most beautiful states in the country?

Gavin Newsom also presented himself as a pro-Second Amendment moderate, accepting a handgun from Shawn Ryan as a “gift” and insisting he respected the Constitution. But even in that, the gun that Shawn gifted him had to be “California-compliant” in the first place, underscoring the hypocrisy of a politician saying he was big on the 2nd amendment while seeing the clear results of his advocating stricter gun laws.[2] This is just classic gaslighting – saying the complete opposite of what we have all observed is true with our own eyes. After all:

-        Newsom signed an 11% excise tax on firearms and ammunition, effective from 2024, making California the first state with such a law.[3] 

-        Under his administration, California further limited the public carry of concealed firearms in "sensitive locations" (schools, parks, sporting venues, etc.), and raised the minimum age for concealed carry permits to 21.[4]

-        Newsom expanded and tightened background checks on gun purchasers and broadened California’s “red flag” law provisions to remove firearms from individuals deemed dangerous.[5]

-        He has even advocated for a federal constitutional amendment to increase gun control nationwide, including raising the minimum purchase age for all firearms to 21 and requiring universal reasonable waiting periods for sales.[6]

So, while Newsom frequently defends these measures as "commonsense" gun safety laws, taken together, these actions and policies make Gavin Newsom one of the most “anti-gun” governors in the country from the perspective of restricting gun rights and access. And again, we all know this, we can easily see it in California and the results of such a stance. So, to lie about it on a podcast just feels silly and basically communicates that people shouldn’t believe what they literally see happening around them.

Seeing a leader manipulate optics like these by labeling obvious trends as overblown and masking policy positions with photo ops, just felt like another reminder that Newsom expects the public to take his word at face value, rather than hold him accountable for the truth.

Now, there was so much more, obviously since the interview was four hours long, but this isn’t our only story to cover, so we next need to shift into the shocking news about one of the most beloved restaurant chains in California.

In-N-OUT of California?

A few weeks ago, the In-N-Out Burger heiress Lynsi Snyder revealed that she and her family are relocating to Tennessee. Here’s what she said, “There’s a lot of great things about California, but raising a family is not easy here. Doing business is not easy here.” She referred to high costs, regulatory challenges, and COVID-era mandates that made operations feel untenable.[7]

Now, what does this actually mean? Well, In-N-Out’s corporate headquarters will consolidate from two locations to just one in California, and a second HQ is set to open out in Tennessee as the company pursues further expansion there. The California stores are all set to remain open for now, but the shift in strategy and physical relocation of the ruling family definitely signals a bit of a wake-up call: as one of the Golden State’s most beloved and storied businesses finds the environment hostile enough to shift leadership elsewhere.

Governor Newsom’s office then took to X in a way that really seemed to downplay the significance of the move, posting, “For those interested in the facts, rather than fiction, In-N-Out is expanding East — creating a second HQ in Tennessee. In-N-Out continues to expand in California — adding more locations in the Golden State this year than any other state.”[8] Now, is it true that In-N-Out is expanding? Yes. Is it true that California stores remain open? Also yes. But what a post like this is missing is the context behind the move. If all was going perfectly well in California, the chain would continue opening more and more stores in the state, as well as in surrounding states. But Lynsi made very clear in a podcast interview that California is hard – hard for business, hard for family, and hard for faith. Yet, the Governor is completely ignoring that in his response.

For conservatives, the frustration lies in the optics: when business leaders express that running a business here is no longer viable, just brushing it off as mere expansion feels dismissive and underscores the reality of a leader disconnected from the pressures constituents and employers face. Gavin Newsom is out of touch and unwilling to listen to his constituents, and his response to this news proved it.

Grandstanding on Redistricting & Trump-style Antics

Next up is redistricting. As you know, Governor Newsom has recently led a highly partisan push to reshape California’s congressional map by suspending its independent redistricting commission in favor of a Democratic-favoring map, supposedly to counter “gerrymandering” in Republican states like Texas.[9] Conservatives, even including former Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, have spoken out against this move as a blatant power grab that undercuts democratic norms.[10] And as we discussed in a prior article, that is so blatantly what it is! For our Governor to go against our state’s constitution with the only reason for doing so being that he doesn’t want Republicans to have more seats in the House of Representatives is just as partisan as he claims the Texas legislature is being.

But, that isn’t the worst of it, because at the same time, Newsom has embraced a mocking Twitter-style tone on X with all caps-lock posts, memes, and provocative taunts meant to mirror Trump’s social media tactics. This is a prime example of political theater!

And to the people who are saying, “Well, Newsom is just mimicking Trump, and you didn’t complain when Trump did it,” here’s the difference: Good leadership isn’t about whether you can “match” the other side’s tactics. It’s about whether you rise above them. So if you criticize Trump for being brash, crude, or overly performative, then you don’t solve that by imitating it, you are just doubling the dysfunction you claim is there. That’s called hypocrisy.

And if you actually liked Trump’s directness, then that doesn’t automatically excuse someone else’s childishness when it doesn’t come from a place of conviction but from trolling. Trump has his own style, he is the way he is, and it’s what won him votes in both 2016 and 2024. Gavin Newsom is not acting from a place of style or conviction; he’s just acting like a 5-year-old. Leaders who believe in their ideas don’t need gimmicks to prop them up. They win people over with clarity, honesty, and results. Mimicking your political opposite doesn’t make you strong…it makes you unoriginal, reactive, and focused on your rival instead of your people.

Real-life Example of Bad Policy Repercussions

Lastly, we have to talk about the absolutely devastating car crash that unfolded on Florida’s Turnpike. This has been all over the news, but in case you missed it – an illegal immigrant from India made an illegal U-turn in a commercial vehicle that ended up colliding with a passenger van and killing all three people inside.[11] The man had obtained a commercial driver’s license issued by none other than the state of California. This is explicitly because of the policy position taken by California that it will issue driver’s licenses – including commercial licenses – regardless of immigration status.[12]

But of course, as is predictable with California, our state’s leadership failed to acknowledge the human toll of a system that allowed someone to legally drive such a large vehicle, and tragically, took lives. Newsom simply emphasized that under California law, nothing was done the wrong way, and so basically there’s no blame to be taken – but isn’t addressing the root of the problem which is the actual policy itself. He refuses to confront the consequences of the policy that he enacts and champions, reinforcing a broader frustration: when leadership won’t own the impact of their policies, it feels like arrogance and disregard for real harm.

What All of This Reveals About Leadership

Let’s circle back and zoom out to look at the common denominator in all of these stories: California’s leaders are showing us who they are.

Leaders like our very own Governor just lie, thinking we won’t notice. They dismiss the real concerns of citizens and businesses as fake or as not their problem. They grandstand on issues that are so out of touch with Californians day to day instead of actually governing to make real life better for the people living in their state. And worst of all, they avoid responsibility for the explicit consequences of their policies.

When leaders behave this way, believe them. Don’t expect that anything across our state will change if people like Gavin Newsom retain power – just expect more of the same.

Which is why we need to look honestly at this behavior and discern how we can actually effect change. It’s so easy to get discouraged when we see this type of blatant arrogance, dishonesty, or irresponsibility in our leaders. But not all leaders are like this, and the leaders of our state don’t have to be like this — there are examples of integrity in governance, and they help us see what we should demand and expect.

Our Governor’s actions show us that what we should prioritize in the leaders we elect are truthfulness, humility, authenticity, and a people-first mindset.

• A leader who exemplifies truthfulness will face facts honestly. They won’t bend the facts them for the sake of optics.

• A leader who exemplifies humility will admit their mistakes and learn from them moving forward.

• A leader who exemplifies authenticity will stay focused on governing rather than taking outlandish positions or using inflammatory language to score political points.

• And most importantly, a leader with a people-first mindset keeps the interests of the citizens under their governance above their personal ambition.

This is a return to how politics and government were supposed to originally be. It was never supposed to be a popularity contest, or a way to make a name for yourself, or a way to fulfill all your ambitions and goals. Governing was meant to be ordinary. It was supposed to be another ordinary person living in the same community as you stepping up to make sure the people around you were heard and represented. Today, politics has turned into such a game, so dependent on who you know and who knows you. But it should be regular people with commonsense ideas and genuine values that represent and govern one another. People who see the problems around them and actually want to try different strategies and methods to fix them – not just to parrot the talking points of one political party or to advance personal ambitions, but to make life better for their own communities.

THIS is the type of person we should look for to run our state, to serve in our legislature, and to lead our cities on the local level. These people do exist, and we have seen how successful they have been when trusted with leadership in the past.

My favorite example of a good leader is, to no one’s surprise, the 33rd Governor of California, Ronald Reagan. He put on display all of the good traits that I just said we should be looking for in a leader.

When it came to truthfulness, Reagan was called “The Great Communicator” – not just for his speeches, but ultimately for his clarity. He explained complex issues in ways that everyday people could understand, because he knew he was governing everyday people. Even critics respected that people knew where he stood.

When it came to humility, Reagan was known for his self-deprecating humor. He didn’t take himself too seriously, which helped him connect with people. For example, after being shot in 1981, he joked with doctors saying he hoped they were all Republicans – and in that version of the world, it genuinely didn’t matter! Even Democrats or those from other political parties respected him and could enjoy him as a person even if they disagreed.

When it came to authenticity, Reagan was steady under pressure. As governor during campus unrest and a tough budget climate, he showed firmness but also pragmatism, adjusting when necessary and staying true to his values and the methods he knew were proven to work. He made tough calls on spending and taxation that might not have been popular in the short-term but emphasized long-term stability. That is SO RARE to find today, but it is necessary – because it is easy to please everyone in the short-term and then fail them in the long-run.

And lastly, when it came to people, Reagan didn’t just chase partisan points, like I just mentioned his appeal was broader. In California specifically, he often worked with a Democrat-controlled legislature – something that would be so hard for a Republican to do today – showing willingness to compromise while holding his principles. This translated into his presidency in later years and would aid his success.

We can’t just say we want better leaders, we can’t just criticize Gavin Newsom and say he’s terrible and ruining our state – we have to reward integrity at the ballot box. And the reality is that discernment starts now: as we assess the candidates in the race for various government positions next year, we need to remember to measure leaders not solely by their charisma or social media presence, but by their track record of honesty, responsibility, and service.

What About for the Conservative?

Now, you might be thinking – all of that is great, but I’m doing that and it’s not working. I’m voting for the good guy, I’m voting against the Gavin Newsoms of the world, and it just isn’t enough to make change. And I want to pause here, because I get it. That discouragement is real. Especially as a conservative in California, it’s true that it feels like no matter how many times you show up, the machine just keeps cranking in the same direction.

But here’s what I’d say: voting is necessary, but it’s not the only thing that matters. I’ve said this before and will keep saying it to keep encouraging you. Real change takes more than a ballot every two years, it takes persistence, it takes conversations with neighbors, and it takes holding leaders accountable in between elections, not just during campaign season.

The best way to effect change is to SHOW people around you the actual, real-life consequences of the policies being put in place. We are seeing that start to work. We are seeing baby steps in people getting frustrated with the current leadership in our state and curiosity as to what could make it change. We need to recognize that, build off of that, and keep going – regardless of who wins in 2026.

History shows us that perseverance matters. Reagan didn’t win his first campaign for governor; he lost before he won. Good leaders don’t appear overnight, and change doesn’t happen in one, two, or three election cycles. So yes, vote for character, vote for the right leaders. But don’t stop there. Stay engaged! Talk with your friends, your church, your coworkers about what really matters in leadership. I bet you that there are dozens of people around you who think that politics don’t matter, or that California is too far gone, and they stop showing up. Or, that there are people around you who just believe leaders like Gavin Newsom and never stop to question why he doesn’t deliver on any of his promises. Those are the people we need to be engaging with. If you believe that your voice matters, and you believe that being engaged matters, then it is a whole lot easier to convince others around you that it does as well.

Now if we want to dig to the very bottom, then we will see that it all starts with your values. What you value will dictate what you prioritize, who you believe, and how you vote. This is why community matters, this is why the church matters, and this is why the gospel matters! Understand what it is that the people around you value, and then speak to that – either to inform their values or to give actionable steps for how they can act on their values.

Here's the truth: cynicism guarantees that nothing will change. But persistence – even slow, unseen persistence – that’s what starts to make little cracks of change. And if we focus on our outlook now, if we are impassioned and emboldened and discerning now, then when the right leader does rise up, we’ll be ready to recognize them and support them. And that, my friends, is how change actually takes root.

References:

[1] Johnson, Hans and Eric McGhee, “Who’s Leaving California—and Who’s Moving In?,” Public Policy Institute of California, February 25, 2025, https://www.ppic.org/blog/whos-leaving-california-and-whos-moving-in/.

[2] Sweeney, Patrick. “Podcaster Shawn Ryan Cozying up to Anti-2A Gov. Gavin Newsom - Firearms News.” Firearms News, July 16, 2025. https://www.firearmsnews.com/editorial/shawn-ryan-cozying-anti2a-newsom/528484

[3] Campbell, Josh, and Lauren Mascarenhas. “California Governor Signs Gun Control Measures Into Law, Including Nation’s First State Tax on Firearms and Ammunition.” CNN, September 27, 2023. https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/27/us/california-gun-tax-gavin-newsom.

[4] Gardon, Izzy. “California Strengthens Nation-Leading Gun Safety Laws.” Governor of California, June 17, 2024. https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/09/26/governor-newsom-strengthens-californias-nation-leading-gun-safety-laws/.

[5] Governor of California. “Governor Newsom Signs Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen California’s Gun Laws | Governor of California,” September 26, 2024. https://www.gov.ca.gov/2024/09/24/governor-newsom-signs-bipartisan-legislation-to-strengthen-californias-gun-laws/.

[6] Koseff, Alexei, “Why Gavin Newsom’s Gun Control Constitutional Amendment Hasn’t Gone Beyond California,” CalMatters, June 10, 2024, https://calmatters.org/politics/2024/06/gavin-newsom-guns-constitutional-amendment/.

[7] Tangalakis-Lippert, Katherine, and Brent D. Griffiths. “In-N-Out Billionaire Lynsi Snyder Says Her Family Will Move to Tennessee, but the Company’s HQ Will Stay in California.” Business Insider, July 24, 2025. https://www.businessinsider.com/in-n-out-lynsi-snyder-relocation-california-tennessee-business-expansion-2025-7

[8] Vaziri, Aidin. “‘We’re Not Leaving’: In-N-Out Responds to Rumors About California Exit.” San Francisco Chronicle, July 22, 2025. https://www.sfchronicle.com/california/article/in-n-out-california-20780511.php.

[9] Bollag, Sophia, and Aseem Shukla. “Proposed California Redistricting Maps Show Where Democrats Would Draw New Lines.” San Francisco Chronicle, August 15, 2025. https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/california-redistricting-maps-20819600.php

[10] Batey, Eve. “Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Ready to Take on Gavin Newsom.” Vanity Fair, August 17, 2025. https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/gavin-newsom-arnold-schwarzenegger-california-gerrymandering

[11] Oliveira, Alex. “Shocking Footage Shows Illegal-migrant Driver Make Outrageous Rogue U-turn, Killing 3: Officials.” New York Post, August 17, 2025. https://nypost.com/2025/08/17/us-news/illegal-migrant-driver-in-florida-make-rogue-u-turn-kills-3-officials/

[12] Sullivan, Tim, and Cathy Bussewitz. “With the US Pausing Work Visas for Some Foreign Truck Drivers, Here Are Some Things to Know | AP News.” AP News, August 23, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/foreign-truckers-visas-rubio-trump-florida-crash-beee82cfa284a174d7a74c42199bbd45.