Senator John Kennedy, Republican of Louisiana, reportedly used a Fox News appearance on Friday to deliver an unexpected message of thanks to one of his frequent political targets: Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.
“He has surprised all of us and done something intelligent,” Kennedy said, praising Newsom’s decision to deploy state police to major cities across California.
The remarks came during an interview with Fox host Sandra Smith, who asked Kennedy if he would like to see the National Guard deployed to Chicago. Kennedy said he would “prefer to have them invited,” before pausing to acknowledge what he viewed as a rare act of leadership from the Democratic governor.
“I want to make a rare note of gratitude to Governor Newsom,” Kennedy said. “He has surprised all of us and done something intelligent.”
Kennedy suggested that Newsom’s move was motivated less by principle than by pressure. “You don’t have to be a senior at Cal Tech to know that’s in response to the [Donald] Trump administration’s threat to send federal law enforcement officials,” he said. “But look, I’ll take it. If that’s what it takes to get Governor Newsom to stop being a princess, I’ll take that too.”
The Louisiana senator, known for his colorful language and sharp critiques, emphasized that crime under Newsom’s leadership had consistently worsened. “Every year that [Newsom] has been governor, crime and violence has gotten worse in California,” Kennedy said.
He blamed the deterioration on what he described as Newsom’s ideological rigidity. “Why? Because Governor Newsom is a member of the socialist wing of his party. Because Governor Newsom has refused to get up off his ice-cold, lazy butt and do something about it. Because Governor Newsom thinks that talking about crime — he’s only doing it under pressure — is racist, because he thinks that cops are a bigger problem than criminals.”
Kennedy’s criticism reflects a broader Republican argument that Democratic leaders in states like California and Illinois have allowed violent crime to flourish by pursuing progressive policies that weaken law enforcement and prioritize ideology over public safety.
Still, even as he excoriated Newsom’s record, Kennedy made clear that the governor’s decision to act was a step in the right direction. “But I want to give him credit. Maybe he’s had a conversion, but he’s doing the right thing by sending in California state police,” Kennedy said.
The senator punctuated his point with a characteristic quip. “Even a blind chicken finds a mealworm every now and then.”
Kennedy’s comments underscored the political pressures Democrats like Newsom face as crime remains a top concern for voters. While Republicans continue to hammer Democrats for what they view as lenient approaches to law and order, the California governor’s deployment of state police suggests an acknowledgment that public safety has become too urgent to ignore.
For Kennedy, the move may not absolve Newsom of years of what he called inaction. But in the senator’s telling, it at least shows that, under pressure, even one of the party’s most liberal governors can take steps toward addressing crime.
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