California Gov. Gavin Newsom is making moves on the national stage ahead of a potential 2028 presidential run, but recent events suggest the road is getting bumpy. According to PJ Media, a Michigan appearance this week drew a crowd of roughly 17 people, a moment that quickly became ammunition for skeptics questioning whether Newsom can translate his California political operation into a viable national campaign.
The modest turnout came amid reports that Newsom has been canceling fundraisers due to lack of interest. At the same time, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, appearing at a Politico event in California, offered warm words for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as a potential presidential candidate while giving Newsom only lukewarm praise, saying he had “laid a great foundation” but deflecting on what comes next — a dynamic PJ Media characterized as being “damned with faint praise.”
Critics argue that Newsom’s record in Sacramento presents a significant hurdle. PJ Media points to the state’s beleaguered high-speed rail project, which is now running out of money after years of cost overruns. “He should have canceled that monstrosity years ago,” the outlet wrote, echoing complaints from fiscal conservatives who once saw Newsom as a moderate on spending.
The article also highlights new pressure from the U.S. Department of Justice. Harmeet Dhillon, head of the DOJ’s civil rights division, has demanded that Newsom address systemic failures in California’s women’s prisons within 49 days. PJ Media reported that federal investigators uncovered “a longstanding pattern of sustained staff sexual misconduct, inadequate safeguards, failures in confidential reporting, improper investigative practices, and insufficient accountability measures” at three facilities, concluding the issues “grievously violate prisoners’ rights under the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.”
Newsom’s team has not publicly responded to the DOJ’s directive, but the timing is awkward for a governor positioning himself as a national leader on progressive issues.
Seattle Mayor Faces New Scrutiny After Mass Shooting
Meanwhile, up the coast, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is under fire for her administration’s response to a mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival two weeks ago. Two people were killed, a toddler was grazed by a bullet, and others were wounded in what police described as an alleged gangland shooting. A shooter also died.
PJ Media reports that local media are questioning whether Wilson told the truth about the city’s response in the critical first hours after the attack. Reporters have requested the release of Wilson’s text messages and were told they won’t be available for three months. Shortly after the shooting, Wilson fired the city’s part-time police chief.
The outlet also noted that Seattle police were ordered to stop tracking gangs in 2020, a policy decision that critics say has hampered investigations into gang-related violence.
Faith-Based Recovery Gets Federal Spotlight
In Southern California, Health and Human Services Secretary Bobby Kennedy visited San Diego County this week to promote faith-based drug treatment programs. Speaking at a privately funded rescue mission in National City, Kennedy said, “Recovery requires treatment and accountability. For many Americans it is a spiritual battle.”
San Diego Rescue Mission CEO Donnie Dee echoed that sentiment, saying, “Homelessness is actually a heart issue. It’s not just a housing issue. It’s not just an addiction issue.” The visit underscores the Trump administration’s push to steer federal antidrug efforts toward faith-based and 12-step models rather than “housing first” approaches.
Spokane Arson Suspect Faces 25 Fire Counts
Aaron Faranacci remains in custody in Spokane on $2 million bail after admitting to setting the Old Trails Fire, which destroyed 700 homes and left thousands homeless. PJ Media reports Faranacci has also confessed to starting 25 fires in total, including the Old Trails blaze.
Elsewhere in the region, a congressional candidate in California’s Riverside County drew attention for inflammatory rhetoric. Shonique Williams, a Democrat running in CD 41, was seen in a video calling for “Black and Brown Unity” as a “weapon” against white people, according to PJ Media.
For Newsom, the mounting pile of state-level controversies — from prison scandals to the rail boondoggle to his own thin crowds on the trail — raises a simple question that his detractors are increasingly eager to answer: Is the West Coast really where Democrats want to find their next standard-bearer?
Source: pjmedia.com — https://pjmedia.com/victoria-taft/2026/08/14/west-coast-messed-coastis-it-the-end-of-the-line-for-gavin-2028-n4956133
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