California Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t waste time firing back at former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy — and he did it with a single, brutal punchline that left McCarthy looking stuck in the past.
The feud started when McCarthy tried to slam Newsom over California’s redistricting plan — a move meant to counter Republican gerrymandering in Texas. In an interview with CNN, McCarthy accused Newsom of trying to change the state constitution “for his own political belief.” Then, in a strange twist, he took a shot at the governor for not doing enough to bring back a failed retail chain.
“We have a governor who spends more time on this instead of trying to encourage Bed Bath & Beyond to move back to California!” McCarthy said.
Yes, McCarthy invoked Bed Bath & Beyond — a company that went bankrupt and shut down all its stores in 2023.
Newsom didn’t even flinch. He hit back with a deadpan knockout: “Next, he’s going to announce that Blockbuster wants to move back to California, too,” Newsom said.
Game over.
The jab landed hard because it exposed just how out of touch McCarthy’s attack was. Bed Bath & Beyond isn’t even coming back to California. The company, now owned by Beyond, Inc., said it has no plans to return to the state, blaming “higher taxes, higher fees, higher wages that many businesses simply cannot sustain.”
Their first new store just opened — in Nashville, Tennessee.
Newsom’s team wasn’t done. His @GovPressOffice account mocked the situation in a post that dripped with sarcasm:
“After their bankruptcy and closure of every store, like most Americans, we thought Bed, Bath & Beyond no longer existed. We wish them well in their efforts to become relevant again as they try to open a 2nd store.”
While McCarthy tries to raise $100 million to fight redistricting, Newsom is clearly more focused on keeping receipts — and firing back with facts and flair.
