Actor Mel Gibson denounced California Governor Gavin Newsom over the ongoing Los Angeles area wildfires while appearing on a Thursday episode of The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.
Why It Matters
Newsom, a Democrat, has been facing heavy criticism from Republicans including President-elect Donald Trump since several major fires erupted and quickly spread out of control in Southern California earlier this week.
Gibson, 69, best known for his roles in movies such as the Lethal Weapon cop action series and Oscar wins for best director and picture for 1995's Braveheart, also has a history of controversy, having been repeatedly accused of sexism, racism, antisemitism, homophobia and domestic violence. His status as a Hollywood A-lister took a nosedive in the 2000s after he was recorded on video saying that "the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world" during a 2006 drunken driving arrest in Malibu, California.
The actor is also an outspoken Republican who endorsed Trump's presidential run last year, and suggested that Newsom was somehow to blame for the fires during the interview with Rogan, who also endorsed Trump.
What To Know
Gibson, who lives in Malibu, discussed the "inferno" engulfing his neighborhood and other areas in and around Los Angeles before the discussion with Rogan quickly turned to politics.
"The wildfire situation ... How crazy it is that they spent $24 billion last year on the homeless, and what did they spend on preventing these wildfires? Zip," Rogan said.
Gibson then interjected by directly accusing Newsom of failing to "take care of the forest," while jokingly suggesting that the governor was spending all of California's "tax dollars" on his "hair gel."
"In 2019, I think Newsom said, 'You know, I'm going to take care of the forest and maintain the forest, all of that kind of stuff,'" said Gibson. "He didn't do anything ... And then I think all our tax dollars probably went for Gavin's hair gel ... It's sad. It's like, the place is just on fire."
Rogan went on to say that Newsom had "ruined the state personally" and that it was "just insane" for the governor to frequently call California "the best state."
Gibson agreed, arguing that Newsom was responsible for San Francisco supposedly becoming "apocalyptic" and "a mess" because homeless people live there before suggesting that civilization itself might soon "cave in and collapse."
"The Governor is focused on protecting people, not playing politics, and making sure firefighters have all the resources they need," said Izzy Gardon, Newsom's director of communications, in a statement emailed to Newsweek in response to Gibson's remarks.
The podcast was taped in Texas and released online Thursday. Gibson confirmed during a NewsNation interview later on Thursday that his home had been destroyed by fire, saying that the house was "completely toasted" and "in cinders" when he returned from taping Rogan's podcast.
Gibson's publicist declined Newsweek's request for comment.
What People Are Saying
Trump, in a post to Truth Social on Wednesday: "One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It's ashes, and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!"
Newsom, responding to Trump's rhetoric in a post to X, formerly Twitter: "People are literally fleeing. Kids have lost their schools. Communities have lost their churches. Families have lost their homes. Some have even lost their lives. And the President-Elect's response is to politicize it. We'll continue to focus on what matters: saving lives and putting out these unprecedented fires."
What Happens Next
Southern California firefighters were continuing to battle the blazes on Thursday evening, while local and federal emergency workers and agencies were assisting with evacuations and the aftermath of the destruction.
Newsom said on Thursday afternoon that he had "just activated hundreds of additional California National Guard members to help battle blazes and keep our Southern California communities safe."
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