California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) celebrated Wednesday as his state became the world’s fourth-largest economy — albeit one that cannot fix homelessness or protect its citizens from devastating wildfires.
Newsom’s office cited data indicating that California had surpassed Japan and that only the U.S., China, and Germany had larger economies, in terms of total output. He boasted in a press statement:
California isn’t just keeping pace with the world—we’re setting the pace. Our economy is thriving because we invest in people, prioritize sustainability, and believe in the power of innovation. And, while we celebrate this success, we recognize that our progress is threatened by the reckless tariff policies of the current federal administration. California’s economy powers the nation, and it must be protected.
Newsom’s attack on Trump’s tariff policies comes as California employs many non-tariff barriers to trade with other U.S. states, such as stiff regulations on vehicle emissions and agriculture that affect the entire U.S. economy.
Homelessness has hit a record high under Newsom, though the governor’s office has spun the numbers to claim, misleadingly, that “California outperforms the nation in reducing the growth of homelessness.”
Tens of thousands of California residents remain displaced as a result of wildfires in January that many blame on the state’s failure to clear brush and provide adequate water, through local authorities, for firefighting.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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