Gavin Newsom Tried This Pivot on Red State Crime. It Failed Miserably.

Matt Vespa | August 17, 2025 6:30 AM

President Trump has federalized the DC police force and deployed the National Guard throughout the capital to restore law and order. Union Station isn’t awash with hobos, violent criminals, and drug dealers anymore. The only people who are mad about it are weirdo white liberals who boo and hiss federal agents doing their jobs.

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is more preoccupied becoming the anti-Trump candidate than rebuilding his state, which was ravaged by a wildfire not so long ago, decided to throw this haymaker against Shreveport, Louisiana, which he claims has a homicide rate six times that of San Francisco, an urban enclave that’s quite literally covered in crap. The problem is that what Newsom said isn’t true (via KPEL 96.5):

While Newsom painted Shreveport as a crime-ridden wasteland, local officials presented data showing significant crime reductions. According to the Shreveport Police Department, the city has recorded 24 criminal homicides this year, down significantly from 39 at the same point last year.
Recent statistics show Shreveport has experienced dramatic crime reductions, with only 10 homicides as of April 21, 2025, compared to 23 homicides at the same time in 2024. Shots-fired calls also decreased from 950 last year to 634 this year.
By year's end 2024, Shreveport recorded 52 homicides in all of Caddo Parish, representing continued downward trends. Police credited joint efforts with multiple agencies and community engagement for the improvements.
The context matters. Shreveport did see a spike in 2023 with 74 homicides, representing a more than 37 percent jump over 2022 and marking one of the highest totals in the city's recorded history. However, that surge has been followed by steady declines.