How Gavin Newsom uses statistics to mislead about California crime

There is a popular phrase about “lies, damned lies, and statistics.” The last of those three has become a particular favorite of Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) as he tries to shed the soft-on-crime label he has earned himself and the state of California.

Newsom has been on a yearslong kick of lambasting Republicans on social media using crime statistics. He has touted that the statistics show that California is not the paradise for criminals that Republicans portray it as. As one example, when Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) told Newsom to focus on “the lawlessness and crime in San Francisco instead of auditioning for the 2028 Presidential primary with stale talking points,” Newsom responded, “Your state’s homicide rate is 117% higher than California’s.”