California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom 'DISQUALIFIED' From 2028 Run — He's In Major Trouble as His $20/Hr. Fast
SACRAMENTO, CA — Two years ago, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the FAST Recovery Act to the sound of cheering union leaders and flashing cameras. The legislation mandated a historic $20 minimum wage for fast-food workers across the state, a move Newsom proudly hailed as a “win-win-win” for employees, restaurant owners, and customers alike.
Today, that progressive experiment has completely unraveled, leaving behind a devastating trail of mass layoffs, shuttered restaurants, and furious consumers. The fallout has become so severe that political insiders are quietly wondering if this self-inflicted economic wound has permanently disqualified Newsom from a 2028 presidential run.
THE 20,000 JOB EXODUS
Far from the utopian victory promised by the governor, the reality on the ground has been catastrophic for one of California’s largest entry-level job sectors.
According to data from the Employment Policies Institute (EPI)—drawing directly from Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers—the state’s fast-food industry has been decimated.
California has shed nearly 20,000 fast-food jobs since the law was signed.
These losses account for almost one-quarter of all fast-food job losses nationwide over the same period.
The statistics represent real human livelihoods. Following the steep, sudden rise in labor costs, two major Pizza Hut franchisees were forced to lay off more than 1,200 delivery drivers. Other beloved chains, including Mod Pizza and Foster’s Freeze, realized their razor-thin margins had disappeared overnight and made the drastic decision to close California locations entirely.
To offset the massive payroll spikes, owners are now racing to replace part-time employees with self-ordering kiosks and automation technology.
WORKERS LOSE $4,000 IN INCOME
Even the workers who managed to keep their jobs are feeling the sting of unintended consequences. To survive the $20 mandate, restaurants are violently slashing schedules.
The EPI estimates that non-tipped restaurant workers have seen their hours cut by an average of 250 hours annually. Under the state's previous minimum wage, that equates to roughly $4,000 in lost income per worker.
“Newsom’s $20 wage has turned out to be nothing more than a boost to his own ego at the expense of fast-food workers,” said EPI research director Rebekah Paxton. “His consistent claim that the law is a ‘win’ is out of touch with reality, and lawmakers looking to mirror his job-crushing policies should think twice.”
CONSUMERS FOOT THE BILL
The financial pain isn't just hitting the workers and business owners; it is being directly passed on to families already stretched thin by inflation.
According to menu price data from Datassential, fast-food prices in California skyrocketed by more than 13% after April 2024. That price hike is nearly double the average increase seen in the rest of the country.
The American Cornerstone Institute issued a stark warning regarding the survival of small businesses, noting that mom-and-pop shops simply cannot absorb these higher expenses like global corporations can.
"In the same manner, a state-wide minimum wage doesn’t make sense when applied uniformly across a state as big as California," the group noted, highlighting the massive cost-of-living disparity between affluent areas like San Francisco and rural regions like the Central Valley.
A NATIONAL CAUTIONARY TALE
While supporters of the law have desperately pointed to a UC-Berkeley study claiming the wage hike only increased prices modestly and didn't reduce employment, business owners and workers living through the reality on the ground have completely dismissed the study for ignoring the highly visible closures and slashed hours happening in real time.
For Governor Newsom, the political stakes are massive. The FAST Recovery Act was explicitly sold as a national model—a blueprint for a future presidential platform. Instead, it has become a glaring symbol of the disconnect between progressive rhetoric and basic economic reality. Notably, the governor's office has remained completely silent on the latest round of dismal employment data.
"California was the test case, and it failed," stated one Republican strategist. "If Democrats try to scale this nationwide, the result will be disaster for workers and consumers alike."
'Guilty Of Fraud' - Hammer Dropped On Former First Lady Jill Biden During Live Fox News Segment
McEnany Accuses Jill Biden Of Misleading Americans About Debate Performance
Posted July 15, 2026
Former White House press secretary and Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany accused former first lady Jill Biden of misleading the American public about President Joe Biden’s condition following his widely criticized debate performance during the 2024 campaign.
McEnany made the remarks Thursday during an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “America’s Newsroom,” where she reacted to comments Jill Biden reportedly made in her upcoming book regarding the president’s performance during the debate that ultimately intensified questions about his age and fitness for office.
The discussion began when co-host Dana Perino referenced remarks Jill Biden made immediately following the debate.
At a campaign event after the debate, Jill Biden praised her husband’s performance.
“Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question,” she said at the time.
Perino contrasted those comments with more recent claims attributed to Jill Biden and raised questions about the apparent inconsistency.
“So now we know that this is what she’s saying in her book,” Perino said. “And the question I would love to ask her is where are you lying then or now?”
McEnany responded by arguing that Jill Biden’s reaction following the debate was inconsistent with her more recent descriptions of the event.
“It’s a great question,” McEnany said.
“That is not the reaction of someone who believes they just watched their husband have a stroke. It is an absolute lie.”
McEnany then accused the former first lady of concealing concerns about the president’s condition from voters.
“It was fraud,” she said.
“What she did fraud on the American public and she’s continuing it by saying she had never seen him like that before or after.”
The debate between Biden and President Donald Trump became a turning point in the 2024 election cycle, with many Democrats publicly expressing concern about Biden’s performance and his ability to continue his campaign.
Questions about Biden’s age and mental sharpness had circulated for years, but the debate intensified those concerns and fueled calls from some Democrats for him to step aside.
During the Fox News discussion, McEnany referenced comments previously made by veteran journalist Carl Bernstein regarding Biden’s condition behind the scenes.
“Dana, you all remember Carl Bernstein, who said he talked to people who knew Joe Biden, loved Joe Biden, supported Joe Biden, and they were adamant that what we saw was not a one-off,” McEnany said.
According to McEnany, Bernstein reported that individuals close to Biden had observed similar episodes before the debate.
“They said it had happened 15 or 20 times prior, him losing his train of thought,” she said.
McEnany also cited a fundraiser Bernstein reportedly described.
“He described a fundraiser where he froze up and seemed to have some type of rigor mortis,” she said.
“This is not something that was a one-off.”
McEnany argued that concerns about Biden’s condition were widely known among those close to him.
“This was well known,” she said.
She then questioned why Jill Biden continued publicly defending her husband following the debate.
“So why did she keep up with the fraud on the American people?” McEnany asked.
The former first lady has repeatedly defended her husband and rejected claims that she or members of his inner circle concealed concerns about his health, Breitbart News reported.
The debate over Biden’s condition became one of the defining political stories of the 2024 election cycle and continued after he ultimately left the race.
McEnany’s comments reflect ongoing scrutiny surrounding what Biden’s family, advisers and top Democratic officials knew about his condition and when they knew it.
Neither Jill Biden nor representatives for the former president immediately responded to McEnany’s latest remarks.
As new books and accounts from those involved continue to emerge, questions surrounding Biden’s final campaign and the decisions made by those closest to him remain a major topic of political debate.
