Dave Rubin recently circulated a direct-message clip on his show that puts Elon Musk’s blunt appraisal of Governor Gavin Newsom on full display, and the footage is embarrassing for California’s political class. Rubin’s audience was treated to a calm, fact-driven takedown that lays out the plain reality: lawlessness is rising and those in power have been more interested in virtue signaling than public safety.
Elon Musk has not been shy about why he’s fed up, publicly tying California’s lax approach to crime to real economic consequences, including moving major operations out of the state. Business leaders don’t stay where they’re forced to dodge violent criminals and where local government protects ideology over people, and Musk made that decision clear in his own public posts.
The specific flashpoint was Musk highlighting what many Californians already know: confusing messages from Sacramento about what is and isn’t punishable have invited chaos. Newsom’s defensive response—that looting remains illegal—rings hollow to families and merchants who live through repeat thefts and brazen daytime robberies. The back-and-forth shows elite spin trying to paper over policy failures while residents pay the price.
This isn’t some abstract debate; it’s a pattern. Laws and ballot measures that softened penalties for repeat offenders have been cited by critics as partly responsible for a permissive criminal environment, and while some reforms have since been rolled back, the damage to public confidence is real. When businesses like Musk’s complain publicly, it’s because their employees and customers are no longer safe, and that should shame any official who prioritizes ambition over competence.
Let’s be honest: Dave Rubin doing what the mainstream press won’t—showing the clips, naming responsibility, and refusing to let the narrative be rewritten—is exactly the kind of accountability conservative media can and should provide. Fox commentators and conservative outlets have been relentless in pointing out that Newsom’s “fail up” political path has consequences for ordinary Californians, not just headlines. Voters deserve leaders who protect them, not ones who posture for national office while their cities fall apart.
The lesson of this episode is straightforward and patriotic: law and order is not optional. If California’s politicians continue to shrug while crime climbs, businesses leave, and families suffer, the state will keep hemorrhaging talent and taxpayers. Conservatives need to translate this anger into a winning message about commonsense policing, tougher penalties for repeat offenders, and real support for victims rather than performative press releases.
Americans tired of seeing their communities degraded should take heart in moments like this when powerful voices refuse to look away. Musk’s bluntness and Rubin’s willingness to broadcast it aren’t cruelty; they’re a wake-up call to a failing leadership class. It’s time for voters to demand competence, enforce accountability, and elect officials who will actually secure our streets rather than spin for the cameras.
