In a tense exchange that’s quickly gone viral, a California woman confronted Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) over his handling of the state’s devastating wildfires, only to be met with what many call a blatant lie. As the fires continued to ravage communities across the state, with a toll of up to ten people, the woman asked Newsom about what his administration was doing to the ongoing disaster. In response, Newsom lied to her face, claiming he was on the phone with outgoing President Joe Biden when he clearly was not. The confrontation, which has sparked widespread outrage, highlights growing frustration among Californians who feel their government fails to protect them and address the crisis head-on.
The woman, Rachel Darvish, asked Newsom, “Governor, do you have a second?” She said she lived in the area and showed him a photo of her daughter’s school, which had been completely burned to the ground.
“That was my daughter’s school, governor. Please tell me what you’re going to do,” she pleaded with him.
In response, Newsom pointed to his phone and said he was “literally talking to the president right now. "
Darvish asked the governor if he could put it on speaker because she said she didn’t believe he was actually speaking with Biden. However, Newsom backtracked and said there was no cell service. He had been trying to get the president on the phone for a while before she confronted him.
NEWSOM: "I'm literally talking to the President right now"
— Shawn Farash (@Shawn_Farash) January 10, 2025
WOMAN: Can you put it on speaker?
NEWSOM: I have no service.
He lied right to her face. Gavin Newsom is a disgrace.
pic.twitter.com/PPZqIzhHPk
“I’m sorry. There’s literally — I’ve tried five times,” Newsom told the woman. “That’s why I’m walking around.”
Darvish pressed harder, asking why Biden was not taking her phone call.
“Because it’s not going through. So I have to get cell service,” he responded.
The woman then proposed that they get cell service so she could listen in on his call with Biden and hold him accountable.
"Let’s do it. I want to be here when you call the president," she said, while Newsom responded, "I’m so sorry.”
When asked why there were no water resources, Newsom refused to answer before getting into a waiting black SUV.
After the woman’s video went viral, Newsom’s office immediately stated that the governor spoke with Biden moments after the confrontation.
“After hearing from Rachel, the Governor immediately spoke to President Biden, and as a result of that call, the President committed to covering 100 percent of the recovery costs for the next 180 days. That’s a game-changer,” Newsom’s office said. “This was not a normal blaze. When this fire began, firefighters were battling flames fueled by 100mph hurricane-force winds against them.. [the water supply was] “exhausted because of the extreme scale of the fire and extraordinary nature of this hurricane-force firestorm.”