Mel Gibson Slams California Politicians Amid Protests, Says State Is In ‘Turmoil’

Published: June 20, 2025

By India McCarty

Mel Gibson slammed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for their handling of both the recent Los Angeles wildfires, as well as the protests.

“Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass have already proven their incompetence and poor leadership during the Los Angeles wildfires,” he said on Fox News. “Now, as we experience rampant lawlessness and civil unrest, it’s never been more clear: California’s in a state of turmoil.”

Gibson continued, “I ask my fellow Angelenos: Why are Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass still in office? How much more of their destructive decision making masquerading as leadership are we going to tolerate? It’s time to take back our community and our state and put the power and the privilege in the hands of competent leaders whose goals are to protect us and the way of life this nation was founded upon.”

The PASSION OF THE CHRIST director has previously shared his opinions about Newsom and Bass. In February, he joined the Saving California movement in its efforts to recall Newsom.

“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,” Gibson said at a press conference in Altadena, referring to both elected officials.

He added, “Was it incompetence? Was it indifference, complacency, carelessness? Was it negligence? Absolutely.”

A spokesperson for Newsom told Fox News, “We know Mr. Gibson has played a cop in the movies, but that doesn’t make him a public safety expert. Perhaps he should stick to his day job.”

Gibson is currently working on his latest project, THE RESURRECTION OF THE CHRIST, a follow-up to 2004’s THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. Lionsgate is set to distribute the movie.

“Lionsgate’s brave, innovative spirit and nimble, can-do attitude have inspired me for a long time, and I couldn’t think of a more perfect distributor for THE RESURRECTION OF THE CHRIST,” Gibson said in a statement, via The Hollywood Reporter. “I’ve enjoyed working with Adam and the team several times over recent years. I know the clever ingenuity, passion, and ambition the entire team commits to their projects and I’m confident they will bring everything they can to the release of this movie.”

Gibson’s recent comments illustrate the current dissatisfaction people on both sides of the political divide feel with our elected officials.

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