Senate Republican hit with fact-check after trying to jab Democratic Governor
U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) speaks during a U.S. Senate Judiciary Privacy, Technology, and the Law Subcommittee hearing on oversight of telecommunications carriers in the wake of the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 10, 2026. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) tried to score points Monday by blasting California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) ahead of a planned trip to Nashville, but instead got scorched in return. Blackburn, who’s running for governor, accused Newsom of turning California into “the most unaffordable [state] in America” and warned Tennesseans against his radical leftist policies. Newsom shot back, calling out Tennessee’s violent crime rate and highlighting California’s higher incomes, longer life expectancy and overall quality of life. “Time to turn Tennessee blue,” he added. The clash comes as Newsom ramps up his national profile, openly criticizing Trump abroad. "Donald Trump is temporary. He'll be gone in three years," Newsom said at a summit over climate policy in the U.K., adding that California will be "stable and reliable." Newsom is visiting Tennessee to meet with former Californians who have moved there.

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