Democrats have become laughably predictable — if Donald Trump does it, it’s automatically “bad.” Case closed. The latest example? His announcement of a $300 million White House ballroom project. Cue the outrage from liberal elites like California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who’s already clutching his pearls. Never mind that taxpayers won’t pay a single cent for the project, or that it’s a long-overdue upgrade that will benefit the country for generations.
For Democrats, if Trump’s behind it, common sense goes out the window. “It’s a vulgar display,” he contends, one that defines “a wrecking ball presidency!”
Gov. Gavin Newsom tells ABC News’ @JonKarl that he hopes the next Democratic president will reverse President Trump’s White House renovations, calling them “a vulgar display” and “symbolism of weakness masquerading as strength.” pic.twitter.com/elIuvGBM8H
— ABC News (@ABC) October 30, 2025
Newsom might want to revisit that old saying about glass houses before he throws another stone at Donald Trump. While he’s busy ranting about Trump’s privately funded White House ballroom, there’s a massive, taxpayer-funded Capitol renovation happening right in his own backyard — and no one in Sacramento seems to have any real answers about it. Those who do are conveniently muzzled by non-disclosure agreements.
This is the Gavin Newsom/California Way of doing business: secrecy, spin, and double standards.
KCRA 3’s Political Director Ashley Zavala has been digging into the project, and what she’s uncovering is downright troubling. While Trump has been completely open about every detail of his ballroom project, Newsom gets defensive and evasive the moment someone dares to ask, “What’s actually going on here?”:
Gov. Gavin Newsom has promised to push state lawmakers leading the California Capitol Annex project to be more transparent about how they’re using taxpayer dollars.
Documents show Newsom’s office plays a larger role in the project than the governor suggested earlier this week.
It has been at least three years since project leaders in the California Legislature provided an update on the estimated cost of the taxpayer funded office building that will be used by the governor and state lawmakers. At last check, it was expected to cost more than $1.1 billion.
Three years — and counting — for a Capitol renovation project that’s still shrouded in secrecy. And this is the guy calling Trump corrupt? Please.
Just watch how Gavin Newsom treats KCRA’s Ashley Zavala when she tries to get straight answers. The smug arrogance is off the charts. He plays dumb, dodges responsibility, blames everyone else, and then — for reasons known only to him — slips into a bizarre Joe Biden–style whisper. The body language alone is something to behold. What’s with the flailing hands and theatrical gestures? If Tim “Jazz Hands” Walz catches wind of this performance, he’ll be green with envy:
Newsom is keeping very close tabs on the White House ballroom. Yet he claims ignorance as to the State Capitol a block from his office, where an extravagant "renovation" is costing taxpayers at least $1.2 billion – and legislators refuse to say how much the cost has grown. https://t.co/V1BgXkywhU
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) October 30, 2025
While Gavin Newsom melts down over Trump’s future White House ballroom and its supposed “opulence,” maybe he should take a long, hard look at what’s happening in his own backyard:
Project leaders, also known as the Joint Rules Committee, have not been forthcoming with information about how they’re spending the funds; only confirming information that is leaked to KCRA 3, including millions spent on Italian stonework, and the decision to add a hallway system that only lawmakers can use to avoid the public and media. The Legislature also continues to withhold documents that KCRA 3 has requested, which could shed light on how much the project is costing.
Sure, Gavin Newsom isn’t technically the one signing off on every detail of the Capitol renovation — but let’s not pretend he’s some innocent bystander here. The facts tell a different story. His inner circle is knee-deep in the project, quietly pulling strings behind the scenes while pretending not to notice the growing outrage.
And yet, when questions arise, it’s radio silence. Everyone around him suddenly adopts the same code of silence:
Documents provided to KCRA 3 show Newsom’s director of operations has been part of a three-member executive committee that is expected to meet regularly and vote on final decisions about the project behind closed doors. The committee includes Newsom’s current Director of Operations Miroslava de la O, Democratic Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco and Democratic State Sen. John Laird.
The lesson here? Whenever Democrats protest the loudest about something a Republican is doing, they’ve done it or are doing it 10 times harder.
