California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been cosplaying a tough guy in recent days, daring President Trump to arrest him for his weak response to the ICE riots roiling his state. But just under the surface is an insecure man-child who wildly lashes out at his critics.
Case in point: He's trying to shut down negative coverage of his recent prime time speech by claiming copyright violations and getting content creators demonetized.
My Townhall Media colleague Larry O'Connor, on his YouTube show "Larry," eviscerated Newsom's Tuesday night speech, calling it his "latest meltdown."
"We call out Newsom’s lies and challenge the liberal narrative on immigration enforcement and public safety. Don’t miss this hard-hitting exposé on the state of California under 'Governor Hair Gel,'" the description read. Perfectly legal under the First Amendment, especially considering that this was an elected official giving a public speech in his official capacity.
But then this happened:
Newsom actually used iHeart Media, which hosts his podcast, to issue a copyright claim against Larry's review of his speech. As a result, YouTube demonetized the video, making it impossible for Larry to get paid for his work.
The funny thing is that Newsom had begged media outlets to cover his "fiery but mostly flaccid" speech. My colleague Matt Margolis wrote:
The real disaster unfolded when Newsom decided to play big shot with a televised address to bash Trump. Desperate for airtime, he stooped to groveling at the feet of Fox News’ Sean Hannity, practically begging for coverage. Hannity even aired the pathetic plea on live TV.
“Governor Newsom just texted me and was asking me whether or not we will be taking some of his press conference at the bottom of the hour...”
The speech, purportedly crafted to boost his profile amid the deadly LA riots, was widely panned as performance art. Matt explained:
This wasn’t just a speech—it was a flailing performance packed with lies, tech glitches, and the pathetic spectacle of Newsom groveling for airtime from a network he usually sneers at. He tried to cast himself as California’s last line of defense, but what the country saw was a dishonest, unsteady politician who can’t even handle a live broadcast, let alone a crisis. And if Newsom thinks he can ride these anti-ICE riots into a successful presidential campaign, he’s got another thing coming.
Newsom was Mr. Potato Head putting on his angry eyes for the cameras. The stunt failed spectacularly—and he knows it. The copyright claim tells you everything you need to know about his insecurities.
Why is it that the Left's go-to tactic—every time—is to censor free speech? They haven't learned the lessons of the 2020 election, and now they're doubling down on censorship. That's where PJ Media comes in. We are here, 24/7, to bring you the unvarnished truth about Gavin Newsom, the "peaceful" deadly riots around the country, and the opposition to President Trump's agenda. You can help us stay online amid the censorship and demonization by becoming a VIP member. For just $1.60 per month, you'll get lots of great benefits (read about them here) and you'll be helping us to stay in the fight. Sign up today and use the promo code FIGHT for 60% off.