- Selfie video of California governor at the border draws criticism from Republicans
- Newsom announces increase to nearly 400 National Guard service members working to prevent the flow of drugs into the US.
California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, is being trolled online after posting a selfie video at the southern border calling for more resources. He accused Republicans of standing in the way, but some respond that the governor dragged his feet on the issue.
The video shows Newsom wearing a pair of aviator sunglasses and a dress shirt standing at the border in Southern California near Tijuana, with the fence extended behind him.
“This is the San Ysidro port of entry, not far away, which is the largest in the Western Hemisphere,” Newsom said in the video. “We just met here with the National Guard with customs agents and with border control, talking about our partnerships.”
Newsom said they have 390 National Guard members focused on fentanyl in California.
“Look, at the end of the day, they need more resources,” Newsom said.
California’s Democratic governor posted a selfie video at the southern border on Thursday
“Everyone needs more resources and the Republican Party has consistently been standing in the way of providing the resources to support the men and women who are working hard not only at the border but throughout the state of California and this country to address the issues related to the border,” Newsom continued.
On Thursday, Newsom’s office announced that California was doubling its deployment of National Guard service members to combat fentanyl smuggling.
He said nearly 400 service members were deployed across the state and at ports of entry along the border to prevent illegal drugs from entering the country.
That number is more than the 155 full-time service members who were deployed as part of the Anti-Drug Task Force.
“California has doubled our National Guard at the border who are working to stop the flow of fentanyl,” Newsom wrote in his X post with the video.
“While the Republican Party plays games and Mike Johnson searches for its backbone, we’re here doing the work,” he continued.
It sparked an avalanche of criticism from Republicans and Newsom critics online.
California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher responded to X.
“Thousands of Californians have been poisoned by fentanyl flowing across the border; now that we’re five months away from an election, @GavinNewsom finally decides to act,” he wrote.
“How many lives would have been saved if I had done it years ago instead of waiting until it was politically expedient?”
His post was retweeted by other Republican assembly members. California Republicans accused the state’s Democratic leader and close ally of President Biden of “dancing on adding state resources.”
But the governor’s office responded to Gallagher in X.
“Assemblyman, it appears you have missed these previous announcements and efforts… that the Governor has spoken about at length,” he wrote.
“Happy to add you to our mailing list,” he continued.
In February, a bipartisan group of lawmakers negotiated a $20 billion border and immigration deal that would have provided money to improve border security and immigration services.
However, Republicans torpedoed the deal almost immediately after its announcement, when former President Trump criticized the compromise legislation.