Gavin Newsom Swings at Hegseth, Misses Badly as DoD Shuts Him Down with Brutal Reality Check
California Governor Gavin Newsom attempted a political “gotcha” this week that instantly blew up in his face — and now he’s the one under fire after attacking Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for attending the Congressional Baseball Game while California remains engulfed in riots and chaos.
While Republicans were routing Democrats 13–2 at Nationals Park, Newsom went on X to take a swipe at Hegseth for showing up to the annual charity game.
“Pete sent 4,700 troops here (when they weren’t needed) without adequate fuel, food, water, or a place to sleep,” Newsom posted. “But don’t worry, he’s at a baseball game.”
But his jab didn’t just fall flat — it triggered a sharp and humiliating response from the Department of Defense, which clapped back with a now-viral image showing Hegseth on the ground just 24 hours earlier, standing in full gear with deployed troops on the front lines in Los Angeles.
The Image That Ended the Argument
The photo — released by the Pentagon — shows Hegseth meeting with military personnel in riot gear, coordinating National Guard movements alongside ICE and DHS agents amid widespread street violence, arson, and attacks on federal buildings.
The timing was perfect. The message was clear:
Hegseth shows up. Newsom passes the buck.
While Newsom fumed from his keyboard, Hegseth had already done the hard work — deploying troops into Democrat-run chaos, re-establishing order, and protecting both civilians and federal property. Then he did what millions of Americans do to unwind: attended a baseball game with his family.
Newsom’s Hypocrisy on Full Display
Critics immediately pounced, noting the irony of Newsom attacking a cabinet official for taking a few hours off — while he himself allowed his city to burn for days without decisive action, all while delivering carefully crafted blame tweets from a secure compound.
Newsom’s attack also rang hollow given that the riots happened on his watch, in a sanctuary city, in a state where law enforcement has been kneecapped by the very policies he promotes.
“If Gavin Newsom had done his job, federal troops wouldn’t have been needed in the first place,” one senior defense official told reporters.
Hegseth’s Steady Leadership vs. Newsom’s Meltdown
Hegseth, a combat veteran and former Army officer, didn’t respond directly to Newsom’s tantrum — he didn’t need to. The photo, and his record of showing up, said everything.
Meanwhile, Newsom is now facing questions not just about Los Angeles but about why he’s more focused on trolling cabinet officials than restoring order or holding violent agitators accountable.
Final Word
Newsom tried to dunk on Hegseth.
Hegseth dunked on Newsom with receipts.
And America saw the difference between a keyboard warrior and a wartime leader.
The scoreboard said 13–2. But politically? Hegseth just won 100 to nothing.