Newsom ‘Perfect Example’ of How Dems Can’t Say They’ll Run Country Well When Blue States Are a MessIan Hanchett 3 Feb 2026
On Monday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “On Balance,” former Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) said that it will be difficult for Democrats to convince people they can run America when multiple blue states are struggling and said, “Gavin Newsom, perfect example. I don’t know how he makes a case to the United States of America that what he’s done in California could be a metaphor for what he can do to the United States, and that’s just the truth.”
Host Leland Vittert asked, “[Y]ou think about New York, you think about California, you think about Minnesota, you think about Illinois, all states that are deep blue. How do Democrats convince America that they are ready to run America when each one of these states — or cities in the case of New York — is such an epic disaster?”
Phillips answered, “Not easily. And Gavin Newsom, perfect example. I don’t know how he makes a case to the United States of America that what he’s done in California could be a metaphor for what he can do to the United States, and that’s just the truth. I grew up in Minnesota, Leland, where we pay higher taxes. We were known as a state that worked. And I think, for most of my upbringing, Minnesota did work better, better education, great civic engagement, great parks, clean water, clean air. But as I traveled the country, certainly as a member of Congress and since, I discovered that we’re paying a lot more taxes in Minnesota and not getting the services that we once enjoyed. And that, I think, does have a lot to do with the migration, certainly from northern states to southern states, because in Minnesota, New York, Michigan, Illinois, we’re not going to attract people because of our lovely winters. So we have to do something better. And that’s why being in a republic matters, states can compete, and I really hope to see Democratic leaders become more innovative, bold with policy propositions that actually innovate rather than decimate.”
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/02/03/fmr-dem-rep-phillips-newsom-perfect-example-of-how-dems-cant-say-theyll-run-country-well-when-blue-states-are-a-mess/
