Justine Bateman, the filmmaker and former actress, has taken to social media and television to deliver a scathing critique of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Following the devastating wildfires that tore through Los Angeles, Bateman called for their immediate removal, warning of worse disasters ahead if leadership remains unchanged.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bateman didn’t hold back, accusing Newsom of insincerity and dereliction of duty. She pointed to a video of Newsom discussing cooperation with President-elect Donald Trump to secure resources for Californians affected by the fires, highlighting what she described as his "lack of sincerity" and "dismissiveness." For Bateman, the contrast was stark—Newsom’s public willingness to work with Trump comes alongside his administration's allocation of tens of millions in taxpayer dollars to battle Trump in court on other issues.
“I really want other CA voters to see the lack of sincerity, the dismissiveness, the dedication to pretentiousness, and the dereliction of care for the citizens of California,” Bateman wrote. “He has always demonstrated this. In every video.”
I really want other CA voters to see the lack of sincerity, the dismissiveness, the dedication to pretentiousness, and the dereliction of care for the citizens of California. He has always demonstrated this. In every video.
You cannot trust this kind of person with any role, and… https://t.co/tvO977cWKn— Justine Bateman (@JustineBateman) January 15, 2025
Bateman argued that such behavior makes Newsom unfit for leadership. “You cannot trust this kind of person with any role, and especially not one upon which our wellbeing depends,” she added. “Gavin Newsom needs to be removed, before something worse happens here.”
Bateman extended her criticism to Mayor Karen Bass, citing the mismanagement of Los Angeles resources as a contributing factor to the severity of the fires. In another post, she expressed concerns over the state and city’s lack of preparation for future disasters, including mudslides, earthquakes, power grid failures, and other emergencies. “This will only get worse. I am not willing to find out how unprepared the city and state is for a major earthquake, structure-destroying mudslides, water system poisonings, power grid collapses, or any of the other things that could befall us here,” she wrote. “We have all the demonstrations we need to want something different.”
Appearing on Jesse Watters’ show on Fox News, Bateman elaborated on her critique. She emphasized that leaders at every level need to prioritize the fundamentals—ensuring fire and police departments are well-funded and prepared for disasters. “If you are going to run a city or run a state, you have to take care of the basics,” she said. “That’s make sure that your fire and your police department are well-funded.” She pointed out that leadership in California and Los Angeles failed in this regard, leaving residents to bear the brunt of their poor decision-making.
Bateman didn’t mince words when addressing officials like Newsom and Bass. “If you are not doing everything you can to [mitigate disasters] if they arise, then get out,” she said. “You are useless to us. If you can’t cover the basics, get out of our city. You are useless to us, you are a liability, and you have destroyed people’s lives because you didn’t do your job.”
She doubled down on her call for resignations, saying leaders should step down out of “shame” for the devastation caused by their inaction. “You didn’t do what we paid you for and you should resign out of shame and responsibility for the people whose lives you’ve destroyed right now,” Bateman said.