California Governor Gavin Newsom has ignited a political firestorm after his press office issued a lewd response to a prominent MAGA influencer who vowed to investigate allegations of widespread fraud in the state.
The Provocation and the Crude Retort
Conservative commentator Benny Johnson announced on Tuesday his intention to travel to California with a team to probe what he described as systemic corruption. He claimed the situation was "far worse" than fraud uncovered in Minnesota, which he said led to the destruction of Governor Tim Walz's career.
In a provocative social media post, Johnson alleged that "criminal California fraud is robbing our nation blind," prompting a highly personal retort from the Democrat governor's office. Newsom's press team responded on X with the quip: "We'll make sure Grindr servers are ready…" – a reference to the popular gay dating application.
Social Media Backlash and Allegations of Homophobia
The governor's bizarre joke was met with immediate criticism across social media platforms. Many users accused Newsom, a longtime supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, of deploying homophobic tropes to deflect from serious allegations.
"Newsom backed so far in a corner defending wasting taxpayer money his office is now making gay jokes on Twitter," one user commented. Another asked pointedly, "Why does their sexual orientation matter?" while a third described the post as "just a little light homophobia to own the conservatives."
Some commentators noted the apparent shift in tone from a leading Democrat figure, with one remarking that the post was "not very woke" and another observing that if it were 2021, "Gavin Newsom's office would've cancelled Gavin Newsom's office."
Substantive Fraud Claims at the Heart of the Dispute
The controversy stems from detailed allegations of financial mismanagement levelled by Johnson. He claims his investigation will focus on several key areas, including:
- $70 billion allegedly lost in taxpayer funds.
- $24 billion purportedly spent on "non-existent" homelessness programmes.
- $18 billion used on a stalled high-speed rail project.
- $32 billion in COVID-19 relief funds he says were "stolen."
- $2.5 billion allegedly "lost" to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) fraud.
Johnson also pointed to the aftermath of the Palisades fires, claiming billions were spent on rebuilding but "no homes" were constructed.
Newsom's press office has pushed back against the central $70 billion claim, stating it is "false." They clarified that the State Auditor's "high-risk" list is designed to flag programmes for oversight before potential fraud occurs, not cite current losses. The office also highlighted that California prosecutes fraud, noting 929 arrests and the recovery of $5.9 billion in unemployment fraud alone.
Political Echoes and Escalating Investigations
The dispute has quickly gained national political traction. Less than an hour after Johnson's announcement, former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social, declaring, "The Fraud Investigation of California has begun." He questioned whether California under Newsom was "more corrupt than Minnesota."
Adding legal weight to the claims, Federal prosecutor Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney in the Central District of California, stated on Tuesday that additional fraud charges were expected. "We've already charged millions in fraud related to California's homeless spending," he wrote. "Much more to come very soon."
Johnson, who is married with four children, later claimed to have received more than 250 emails from California state employees and public officials with detailed fraud evidence, promising his trip would be "epic."
The incident underscores the intensely personal and politically charged nature of modern governance debates, where substantive policy allegations can quickly become mired in personal attacks and cultural flashpoints.
