California Gov. Gavin Newsom went after the state’s critics in his State of the State speech Tuesday, enumerating some of its efforts to counter right-wing policies across the country.
“For conservatives and delusional California-bashers, their success depends on our failure,” Newsom said in the pre-recorded speech, recorded at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles and posted online Tuesday. “They want to impeach the very things that have made us successful, as a tactic to turn America toward a darker future.”
It’s the fourth year in a row the governor has eschewed giving the annual address before the state legislature in Sacramento.
“People across the globe look to California and see what’s possible, and how to live and advance together and prosper together across every conceivable difference,” he said.
California, one of the bluest states in the country, is a reliable punching bag for conservative media and GOP leaders. Fox News hosts regularly paint the state as lawless , citing its relatively high rates of violent and property crime, though red states like Arkansas and Louisiana outrank it.