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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has accused Elon Musk of “encouraging looting” after the billionaire shared posts on his social media platform X that he claimed the politician had “decriminalized.”
Stop encouraging looting by lying and telling people it has been decriminalized. It’s not,” Mr. Newsom wrote on X, in response to one of the billionaire’s retweets.
“It’s illegal — as it always has been. The bad actors will be caught and prosecuted.”
Mr. Musk shared a tweet that filmed Mr. Newsom in an interview warning people about looting, but with the caption: “Looting: Newsom and California Democrats Literally Looting “They decriminalized and forbade the police from arresting the looters and the prosecutors from prosecuting them. Now he is against looting.”
Mr. Musk’s repost was captioned with two emojis, one of a clown face and the other of the earth.
The online spat comes as at least 20 people have been arrested in California for raiding abandoned buildings destroyed by the broader Los Angeles wildfires.
More than 12,000 structures were damaged or destroyed by the fire, while more than 150,000 people were under evacuation notices.
Los Angeles police were forced to impose a curfew in areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires from 6 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday to deal with looting.
Los Angeles Sheriff Roger Luna described the looting as “unacceptable behavior” and hoped the troopers’ presence would “help send a stronger message.”
Accusations that Mr. Newsom decriminalized looting are factually incorrect. They stem from his opposition to a bill proposed last year to reduce Proposition 47, an initiative passed in 2014 that reclassified a number of drug and property crimes with a theft value of $950 or less from misdemeanors to felonies.
Felonies are still classified as misdemeanors punishable by a maximum fine and/or imprisonment in the county jail for one year.
The proposal was approved by a statewide vote (nearly 60 percent in favor) in 2014, on the grounds that it would help free up prison space, focus more on more serious crimes, and allow more resources for programs. Deflection of the sentence is used. Mental health and substance abuse treatment
Then in November 2024, Californians voted to approve Proposition 36 (68 percent voted yes), which imposed tougher penalties for retail theft, property crimes, and drug crimes and effectively repealed parts of Proposition 47. .
Mr. Newsom opposed the bill and attempted to propose alternative legislation before the vote on Proposition 47. This offer was withdrawn.
