Ben Shapiro on How President Trump Should Handle California: “Push Back, Don’t Appease”

Top Points:

• Ben Shapiro Urges Trump to Confront California’s Radicalism– Shapiro said California has become a symbol of left-wing extremism and urged Trump to take a firm stand against its defiance of federal law.

• Use Federal Authority to Enforce the Constitution– He recommended Trump use constitutional tools—such as defunding rogue jurisdictions and deploying federal law enforcement—to push back against sanctuary policies and illegal mandates.

• Make California a Case Study in Failed Progressive Governance– Shapiro argued that Trump should spotlight California’s decline as a warning to the rest of the nation and lead a national revival rooted in law, order, and common sense.

  
  

Full Report:

Shapiro: California Has Become the Epicenter of Left-Wing Extremism

In a hard-hitting June 2025 segment on The Ben Shapiro Show, Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro offered pointed advice to President Donald Trump on how to deal with California if he wins a second term: stop appeasing the radical Left and start pushing back with full federal authority.

“California is no longer just a mismanaged state,” Shapiro declared. “It’s a symbol of everything wrong with the progressive movement—open borders, sky-high crime, and a government hostile to constitutional freedoms.”

He argued that the state’s leadership under Governor Gavin Newsom has openly defied federal immigration law, targeted parental rights, and embraced soft-on-crime policies that have turned once-thriving cities into centers of lawlessness.

No More Compromise: Enforce Federal Law

Shapiro made it clear that a second Trump administration must take a firm stance when dealing with California’s insubordination on key national issues.

“If California refuses to follow federal law on immigration, sanctuary policies, or law enforcement, then Trump has every right—and duty—to bring the full weight of the federal government to bear,” Shapiro said. “The Constitution does not carve out exemptions for leftist utopias.”

He suggested that Trump use every constitutional tool available: defunding rogue jurisdictions, deploying federal law enforcement, and challenging unconstitutional state laws in court.

A Cultural and Legal Fight Worth Having

Shapiro argued that the battle over California is more than just political—it’s symbolic. California, he said, represents the far Left’s vision for America: bloated government, suppression of dissent, and erosion of national sovereignty.

“President Trump shouldn’t ignore California—he should expose it,” Shapiro urged. “Put the spotlight on the consequences of progressive rule and show the rest of the country what happens when woke ideology replaces common sense.”

References

– The Ben Shapiro Show, Daily Wire, June 2025

– California state policy trends on immigration, crime, and parental rights

– Federal-state legal tensions during the Trump and Biden administrations