Newsom Fires Back At Trump, Tuberville, And Huckabee With Data-Driven Rebukes

California Governor Gavin Newsom scored a trio of viral victories this week, clapping back at Republican critics with pointed statistics and sharp comebacks, Matt Stopera reported for BuzzFeed.

Newsom’s sharp use of public health data and political rhetoric earned him widespread praise online — a political hat trick that left critics momentarily silenced. I Photo: California Governor Gavin Newsom X

Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) slammed Newsom’s handling of protests in Los Angeles, telling Florida’s Voice that “anarchists are in charge” and calling for the governor to be “locked up.”

Newsom fired back on X (formerly Twitter), posting: “Alabama has 3X the homicide rate of California. Its murder rate is ranked third in the entire country. Stick to football, bro.”

The data checks out — CDC figures list Alabama’s homicide rate at 14.9 per 100,000, compared to California’s 5.9.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders also joined the pile-on, claiming on Fox News and social media that “what’s happening in California would never happen here in Arkansas because we value order over chaos.”

Newsom again responded with statistics: “Your homicide rate is literally DOUBLE California's.” CDC data puts Arkansas’ rate at 11.8 per 100,000. The California governor further criticized Trump, accusing him of only supporting violence “when it suits him” — such as during the January 6 Capitol riot.

Newsom also revealed that despite Trump’s recent claims, the former president “never mentioned deploying the National Guard” during a phone call about Los Angeles unrest.

Newsom’s sharp use of public health data and political rhetoric earned him widespread praise online — a political hat trick that left critics momentarily silenced.