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California Governor Gavin Newsom frequently takes to his social media platforms to highlight the successes of his state under his administration. He often contrasts California with red states like Texas and Florida, seizing every chance to criticize them in the media.
Curiously, he seldom acknowledges the annual U-Haul statistics, which consistently show a trend of blue states, including California, topping the list. However, this is not exactly a point of pride for any governor.
If this narrative sounds familiar, there’s a reason. RedState has previously reported on this trend, with a recent piece from my colleague Sister Toldjah analyzing the 2023 U-Haul survey results.
Back in December 2025, we discussed how blue state governors and legislatures failed to shine as they attempted to block President Trump’s policies, such as the no tax on tips initiative, which aimed to benefit Americans financially. Speaker Mike Johnson (LA-01) publicly criticized them for these actions. It’s important to note that wealth doesn’t necessarily protect against significant mismanagement.
Moreover, Jennifer Van Laar from RedState recently published an investigative report on the 2025 Palisades Fire disaster. Her findings suggest that many Californians are not living the dream; rather, they are enduring a nightmare created under Newsom’s governance.
And RedState’s Jennifer Van Laar’s latest investigative reporting on the 2025 Palisades Fire catastrophe shows that far too many Californians aren’t dreamin’; instead, they’re living in a nightmare of Newsom’s making:
The scope is massive… destruction stretching all the way to the ocean pic.twitter.com/UpRnjcZyr3
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) January 7, 2026
READ MORE: Newsom’s Nightmare: Interim Report Documenting FireAid Fraud Drops on Eve of Palisades Fire Anniversary
‘Outrageous’: Speaker Johnson, Workers Blast Latest Blue-State Ploy to Block Trump Promise
With the turning of the calendar page to January 2026, U-Haul has just released the new Growth Index – and unfortunately for Gov. Hair Gel and the Golden State – the 2025 numbers don’t lie; this makes its sixth year in a row at number 50, that is, dead last–or at the top of the losers list, depending on how you look at it.
Our pal Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-03) posted about the new polling on X about CA having the “highest rate of people moving out” – not in:
U-Haul just released its annual “Growth Index” for all 50 states. For the 6th straight year, California is ranked 50th. We have the highest rate of people moving out versus moving in.
Newsom has turned the greatest state in the country into the most popular state to leave.
— Kevin Kiley (@KevinKileyCA) January 6, 2026
Newsom, though, isn’t the only blue state governor who will find embarrassing tidings in U-Haul’s number crunching for 2025. Remember PEnnsylvania’s Democrat Gov. Josh Shapiro, the almost-vice presidential pick in 2024? Yeah, he and the Keystone State join NJ, NY, and MD near the bottom of the barrel (44th place) for growth in 2025:
Pennsylvania ranks 44th in U-Haul’s 2025 Growth Index–with more residents leaving Pa.for other states. The leading states: Texas and Florida. Biggest losers: California, Illinois, NY, and NY.
So why does @GovernorShapiro want to imitate the losers? pic.twitter.com/ecz0dwZX0b
— NathanBenefield (@NathanBenefield) January 6, 2026
Not a good look, when these state’s chief executives appear to be on the heating-up speculation list of who Democrats might look to support during a 2028 run for president.
READ MORE:Â War of Words Between Josh Shapiro and Kamala Harris Intensifies As 2028 Speculation Heats Up
Progressives Warn Kamala Harris: PA Gov Shapiro a VP Non-Starter
As I said, people seem to be fleeing those states in droves, according to U-Haul’s records. Meanwhile, where are a growing number of Americans heading? Why, it’s a passel of red states.
TX, FL, NC, TN, and SC make up the top five places where people are moving in the U.S., per the survey Honestly, I probably did not need to tell you readers what the predominant political party is in those states, right?
It’s pretty clear that people are voting with their feet (and their moving vans/vehicles’ wheels). No one stays in blue states and cities where they are taxed to death (with more levies on the way, often); they are not able to build their businesses and thrive as they would like. The American people, by and large, are smarter than that, and the numbers don’t like about that fact.
Editor’s Note: Democrat politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws.
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