On X, influencer Spencer Pratt replied to a video clip of California Governor Gavin Newsom criticizing Elon Musk for “turning his back” on the state. In the post, Pratt contrasted Newsom’s record on California’s high-speed rail project with Musk’s SpaceX achievements. The reply has drawn strong engagement and reactions from users online, many of whom echoed the comparison between the infrastructure effort and recent rocket landings.
In the clip from an interview on The Axios Show, Newsom says, “Regulation in California created the conditions that allowed him to take the risk to become the multi-billionaire, maybe trillionaire, that he’s become … Now he’s turning his back on the state that promoted him.”
According to the post, the remarks refer to Elon Musk. Influencer Spencer Pratt replied directly to the post, writing, “The guy who can’t even build 1 foot of train tracks with $120 Bn and 7 years in office is trying to take shots at the guy who is landing rocket ships backwards and catching them in midair with chopsticks? Ok, bro.” The original clip does not show the full interview context or questions posed to Newsom.
Online Debate Over California’s Record and Musk’s Achievements
Some users reversed the phrasing from the clip, with one writing “California turned its back on Elon” and another stating “It is Gavin’s California that turned its back.” Others focused on infrastructure, including a comment that read “High speed rail = FAILURE.”
Additional replies addressed the substance of the remarks. One user wrote that the suggestion that regulations in California “created the conditions to allow Elon to take the risks that made him a billionaire” was “the thought only a madman could conjure up in his head,” noting that Elon came to California for its beauty and weather but left due to regulations.
Another stated, “Capitalism and geniuses like Elon built California over 100+ years. Socialist Failures like Newscum have brought it to its knees in a decade.”
A further response observed the effort to “take credit for Elon Musk’s creations, developments & achievements as he could never have done it without California.”
The exchange has become part of a broader online discussion about California’s business environment and infrastructure priorities. Commenters continue to weigh in on the differing records of state governance and private-sector achievements highlighted in the exchange.
