Part 4/9:
As Newsom seeks to emulate successful leadership styles from governors like Ron DeSantis, the awareness of California's unique challenges complicates his assertions. The backlash against his claims reached a boiling point, with significant ridicule directed at him for offering reassurances that looting will not be tolerated. Critics point to California’s own legal tweaks—like Proposition 47, which downgraded thefts under $950 to misdemeanors and was supported by Newsom—that have arguably enabled the current trend of looting rather than curbed it.