California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) launched a new website targeting “misinformation.”
The website, called California Facts, aims to “call out the misinformation machine that consistently spews lies about CA,” Newsom said. “We’re the 4th largest economy in the world. Our population continues to grow. And we’re done letting the trolls define the Golden State. We’re going on the offense and fighting back — with facts.”
The website combats several alleged “false claims,” such as “False Claim: People are fleeing California. In fact, our population is growing,” and “False Claim: California undermines federal immigration law regarding violent criminals.”
Newsom’s campaign spokesperson, Nathan Click, exclusively told Politico, “We’re living in a new world of disinformation, and Governor Newsom has been on the front lines of fighting it, first with the fires, and now against a whole slew of lies being launched by the far right. It’s part of a multi-platform campaign and longstanding push by him to set the record straight.”
Newsom launched a separate website targeting “misinformation” surrounding California fires in January.
One of the “lies” on the California Fire Facts website is that the wildfires were “caused by California’s mismanagement of forest lands.”
“FACT: The budget for managing the forest (AKA ‘raking the forest’) is now TEN TIMES larger than it was when Governor Newsom took office,” the site asserts. “It was a $200 million annual budget in 2018. The state has now invested $2 billion, in addition to the $200 million annually.”
Another claim on the page read: “California’s smelt fish policy led to the Southern California wildfires,” which the website said was “outlandish.”
