- Newsom blasted Trump and GOP leaders for the shutdown, saying their standoff is endangering American lives and essential services.
- The shutdown disrupted travel and vital benefits—air traffic staffing shortages delayed flights and SNAP benefits risked leaving millions without food.
LOS ANGELES — As the federal government shutdown stretched into its 26th day, California Gov. Gavin Newsom unleashed a blistering attack on President Donald Trump and Republican leaders Sunday, accusing them of putting American lives at risk with their standoff over healthcare funding.
The governor’s sharp words came amid a chaotic morning at Los Angeles International Airport, where a sudden ground stop snarled flights and highlighted the growing toll on everyday travel.
The disruption hit hard: A staffing shortage at air traffic control centers in Oakland led to a two-hour halt on flights between LAX and Oakland, with delays stretching up to 87 minutes for frustrated passengers.
The FrankNez Media Daily Briefing newsletter provides all the news you need to start your day. Sign up here.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the issue stemmed directly from the shutdown’s ripple effects, as understaffed federal workers struggled to keep up.
Newsom’s press office didn’t mince words on X, posting: “Hell of a job, @SecDuffy. Can’t wait to see what you do with NASA,” a pointed dig at Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who’s been rumored to eye a bigger role at the space agency.
That was just the opener. In a follow-up, the office ramped up the heat: “Trump’s shut down is endangering American lives. President Trump, @SpeakerJohnson & @LeaderJohnThune get back to work — you owe it to the American people.”
The posts, which racked up thousands of likes and shares, echoed a frustration building across the state, where the shutdown’s fallout has moved from partisan sniping to tangible headaches for families and businesses.
Dems and Republicans Bicker Like Children
This isn’t the first time Newsom and Duffy have traded barbs over aviation woes tied to the shutdown.
Earlier this month, Burbank Airport’s control tower sat unmanned for hours — from 4:15 p.m. to 10 p.m. — forcing flights to reroute and pilots to improvise.
Newsom fired off then: “Thanks, @realDonaldTrump! Burbank Airport has ZERO air traffic controllers from 4:15pm to 10pm today because of YOUR government shutdown.”
Duffy shot back, pinning the blame on Democrats: “News flash! Your Democrat friends shut down the government because they want to make Americans pay the health care for illegals. If you’re looking for someone to blame, look in the mirror – we all know it’s your favorite thing to do.”
Duffy, appearing on Fox News the same day as the LAX incident, painted a grim picture for the nation’s air traffic controllers.
“These are people that oftentimes live paycheck to paycheck, or one controller has a stay-at-home spouse. They’re concerned about gas in the car, childcare, and mortgages. So I’m seeing the stress come for the controllers,” he said.
He noted a nationwide shortage of about 2,000 controllers, many jumping to better-paying private gigs amid the uncertainty.
“If I don’t feel like I have enough controllers, or enough controllers that are focused, we will slow down traffic, we will stop traffic,” Duffy added. “And that’s why you see the delays in the system. And the job number one is, again, get people to where they’re going safely.”
The White House and Transportation Department haven’t commented on Newsom’s latest salvo, but the underlying fight boils down to a partisan deadlock in Congress.
Democrats and Republicans remain deadlocked over expiring healthcare subsidies set to lapse by year’s end, with no end in sight as the shutdown drags on.
Real Families Are Being Affected
It’s a standoff that’s not just grounding planes but threatening to upend far more basic needs.
Just days earlier, Newsom turned his fire on the shutdown’s potential to delay SNAP food benefits for millions of Californians heading into the holidays.
In a stark warning Monday, he announced the state would set aside $80 million and deploy the National Guard to help food banks bridge the gap.
“Trump’s failure to open the federal government is now endangering people’s lives and making basic needs like food more expensive – just as the holidays arrive,” Newsom said in a statement.
His office estimates 5.5 million Californians rely on SNAP, with 63% being children or seniors — a group that can’t afford delays.
The timing couldn’t be worse. If the government isn’t reopened by Thursday, November benefits could be postponed, leaving families scrambling as Thanksgiving approaches.
“If the government isn’t reopened by Thursday, November benefits will likely be delayed,” Newsom reiterated, blasting the U.S. Department of Agriculture for its own shutdown-induced staffing woes that have slowed responses.
Democratic governors nationwide have echoed the alarm, but California’s scale — home to nearly 40 million people — makes it a flashpoint.
Newsom-Trump Feud Carries Weight
This isn’t isolated chaos; it’s part of a broader pattern in the Trump-Newsom feud that’s simmered since the president’s return to office.
Earlier this year, as wildfires ravaged Southern California in January, Trump accused Newsom of botching water management, claiming the governor refused a declaration that could have funneled “millions of gallons of water” from northern reserves to douse the flames.
The blazes killed at least 28 people and scorched over 35,000 acres around Los Angeles. Newsom hit back hard on CNN, telling Anderson Cooper: “People are literally fleeing. People have lost their lives.”
He contrasted Trump’s approach with President Biden’s, saying the former was “politicizing” a crisis that demanded unity.
The wildfire wars haven’t cooled.
Throughout 2025, California has shouldered more of the firefighting load as federal resources dwindle. The state reported at least 15 major fires on national forest and Bureau of Land Management lands, burning over 350,000 acres by September.
Newsom’s administration poured in billions for vegetation management and fast-tracked over 100 projects covering 25,000 acres, even as the Trump administration slashed U.S. Forest Service budgets by 10% and cut 25% of non-firefighting staff.
In May, California deployed an extra $72 million for risk-reduction efforts, including forest raking — a nod to Trump’s own “rake the forest” mantra from his first term.
In a July challenge, Newsom dared Trump to adopt a state model executive order for wildfire prevention: “Make America Rake Again.”
The governor highlighted a joint federal-state pledge from Trump’s first administration to treat a million acres starting in 2025 — half by each side — but noted federal shortfalls have left California picking up the slack.
By September, Newsom joined the Northwest Wildland Fire Fighting Compact with other Western states and Canadian provinces, a move to pool resources as Washington retreats.
On the federal side, the administration touts quick wins, like the EPA’s record 28-day cleanup of hazardous materials from over 13,600 properties after the LA fires — the largest such effort in agency history.
Trump issued executive orders in January and March to boost water flows and streamline forest management, emphasizing “commonsense” timber use to curb risks.
Yet critics, including Newsom, argue these are bandages on deeper cuts, like a proposed 63% Forest Service budget slash that experts say could hamstring future responses.
Moving Forward
Back in the present, as X lights up with reactions — from Rep. La Shawn Ford amplifying Newsom’s SNAP warnings to everyday users sharing delay horror stories — the shutdown’s human cost feels immediate.
For Californians, it’s a reminder that Washington’s gridlock isn’t abstract: It’s empty pantries, canceled flights, and a governor increasingly positioning himself as the state’s — and perhaps the nation’s — chief defender against federal fumbles.
Whether this escalates into another round of lawsuits or emergency funding pleas remains to be seen.
But one thing’s clear: Newsom’s not backing down, and with holidays looming, neither are the families caught in the crossfire.
Also Read: A DOJ Whistleblower Now Makes Revelation That Undermines the Judicial System’s Integrity
