Actor and director Mel Gibson has voiced strong criticisms against California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, urging residents to replace their leadership due to what he describes as incompetence amid the state’s turmoil.
In a recent appearance on Raymond Arroyo’s podcast, Gibson declared that the situation in California had reached a critical point, particularly in light of recent protests against ICE and ongoing civil unrest.
“Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass have already proven their incompetence and poor leadership during the Los Angeles wildfires,” Gibson stated during the online interview, which was also aired on Fox News and posted on YouTube.
Known for his roles in films like “Braveheart” and “The Passion of the Christ,” Gibson has a reputation for expressing his political opinions openly, particularly his support for former President Donald Trump.
Despite his successes in film, Gibson’s career has been marred by personal controversies, including a drunk driving arrest and an antisemitic rant over a decade ago.
Gibson expressed his concerns about the state of California today, saying, “Now, as we experience rampant lawlessness and civil unrest, it’s never been more clear — California is in a state of turmoil.” He challenged Angelenos to question why Newsom and Bass remain in office despite their failures and reiterated the need for vigilant and effective leadership.
He urged residents to reclaim their community and state, advocating for leaders who prioritize public safety and reflect the values upon which the nation was founded.
The actor’s comments resonated with Arroyo, who discussed the matter with Fox host Kayleigh McEnany, emphasizing that it is the anarchy and lawlessness that pose a true threat to democracy, not Trump, as claimed by Newsom.
In response to Gibson’s remarks, Newsom did not directly engage but instead shifted the focus of blame onto Trump by criticizing the deployment of federal troops in Los Angeles during a time of unrest.
“The deployment of federal soldiers in L.A. doesn’t protect our communities – it traumatizes them… this is not public safety, this is tyranny,” Newsom told Fox News, indicating that he believes Trump’s actions are exacerbating the situation.
This is not the first instance of Gibson criticizing the leadership of California. After losing his home in the wildfires earlier this year, he expressed anger over what he felt was Newsom and Bass’s failure to prepare adequately for such disasters.
Gibson accused them of neglecting their duty by not being ready for the inevitable wildfires, stating, “Gov. Newsom and Karen Bass let us all down. California was ill-prepared and had scant resources to deal with the inevitable fires. They knew that. So are we supposed to believe our elected officials didn’t know that?”
In the past, President Trump had referred to Hollywood as a “great but very troubled place” and announced that he had appointed Gibson, Jon Voight, and Sylvester Stallone as his “special ambassadors” for Hollywood.
Trump had promised to enhance domestic film production and lead a resurgence in Hollywood through the insight of these ambassadors, but industry insiders have expressed skepticism, reporting that they have not seen significant engagement from Trump or these ambassadors since those announcements.
Recently, Voight added his voice to the dissent against Newsom, referring to him as a “lying dog” and questioning his effectiveness in protecting the community from violence and destruction.
Critics argue that such strong statements from figures like Gibson and Voight highlight a growing discontent among some Hollywood conservatives regarding the current state of leadership in California.
image source from：https://patch.com/california/los-angeles/mel-gibson-urges-angelenos-oust-gavin-newsom-karen-bass
