Actor and director Mel Gibson blasted California Democrats over their handling of violent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles.
The Oscar-winning star criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, noting their previous actions during the wildfires as indicative of broader issues in their leadership.
Speaking on Raymond Arroyo’s “Arroyo Grande” podcast, Gibson said, “Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass have already proven their incompetence and poor leadership during the Los Angeles wildfires.”
He added that the recent civil unrest highlights their inability to respond adequately during times of crisis.
“Now, as we experience rampant lawlessness and civil unrest, it’s never been more clear,” the “Braveheart” star added.
“They’re unable to respond effectively and responsibly during calamity. Whether it’s sheer incompetence or outright malevolence, the reality is stark,” he noted.
The unrest Gibson referred to involved widespread protests and violence, with the demonstration reaching across 15 locations in Los Angeles last Saturday as part of the national “No Kings” movement.
Bass, however, downplayed concerns, describing the protests as “overwhelmingly peaceful,” while acknowledging the presence of disturbances.
“Every single one was peaceful … the Downtown one, which was a massive protest, was still overwhelmingly peaceful,” she claimed.
“I think oftentimes when you have a crowd this large, at the end, it becomes a little more difficult.”
Gibson called for stronger and more competent leadership, telling his fellow Angelenos, “California’s in a state of turmoil… How much more of their destructive decision-making masquerading as leadership are we going to tolerate?”
He urged residents to “take back our community and our state” by placing trust in leaders equipped to protect both the people and the ideals foundational to the nation.
Bass has publicly attributed the riots and looting to immigration enforcement actions coordinated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Speaking at a press conference, she said, “Things began to be difficult on Friday, when raids took place, and it’s important that I begin there because that is the cause of the problems that have happened in the city of Los Angeles and other cities.”
She suggested that the events were influenced by the federal government’s interventions, claiming, “This was provoked by the White House. The reason why, we don’t know.”
“I posit that maybe we are part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in reaching in and taking over power from a governor, power from a local jurisdiction, and frankly leaving our city and our citizens, our residents in fear,” she added.
Meanwhile, Newsom has employed new media platforms to advocate for his policies and counter criticism.
Launching his Substack account on Tuesday, he called it an effort to cut through what he described as “mis and disinformation.”
“We have to flood the zone and continue to cut through the right-wing disinformation machine,” Newsom wrote.
Newsom also used Substack to repost his op-ed, titled, “Trump is trying to destroy our democracy. Do not let him,” alongside an interview with Democratic strategist Aaron Parnas, during which he described these platforms as “foundational and fundamental” for Democrat outreach.
Just launched on Substack.
We have to flood the zone and continue to cut through the right wing disinformation machine.
Follow & tune in for my first live conversation with @AaronParnas at 11:30am PT today! https://t.co/obyv4f8x1x pic.twitter.com/iGQ6SYvpi8
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 17, 2025
The chaotic demonstrations have led to partisan disagreements about federal law enforcement’s role in quelling unrest.
President Donald Trump issued orders to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to stabilize the situation.
The decision drew significant opposition from Newsom, who characterized the move as inappropriate for domestic affairs.
“These are men and women trained in foreign combat, not domestic law enforcement,” he said, expressing concern over the potential psychological consequences of militarizing streets.
“The deployment of federal soldiers in L.A. doesn’t protect our communities – it traumatizes them,” he penned.
For his part, Gibson has remained vocal about the issues plaguing California. After losing his Palisades home to a wildfire in January, the actor has criticized what he sees as poor preparation and management by state leaders.
So great that Mel Gibson came out today for the press conference to kick off the recall of Gavin Newsom. pic.twitter.com/g8NE8WH4K6
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) February 27, 2025
“We deserve much more and much better, and there is absolutely no adequate excuse the governor or mayor can make for this gross mismanagement and failure to preemptively deal with what they knew was coming,” he said at the time.
Since February, he has supported the Saving California movement that seeks to recall Newsom, appearing at a press event earlier this year to rally other concerned citizens.
“Was it incompetence? Was it indifference, complacency, carelessness? Was it negligence? Absolutely,” he stated at the event.