White House Insider: You Won't Believe What's Coming to California This Year

Real life presents the Jack Hibbs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints and impact our culture. I got to have to be honest with you. I was a little bummed with Trump when he snatched you away from Huntington Beach. Why in the world would you leave such a powerful position in the Department of Justice to come back to California? So my story's an interesting one. I left a lucrative career to fight for the people. Imagine if we could return California back to the people. Take it out of the hands of the political elite in Sacramento and give it back to the people of California. You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.com slash podcast. Today, if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five star ratings. To us, that's like saying, amen or yes, then that rating will encourage others to listen. Now, open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs. Hey, everybody. Welcome to the Jack Hibbs podcast. The Jack Hibbs show. We're excited for you guys to be with us and we're going to a great time today. We have with us and it's an honor to have with us. Michael Gates and Michael Gates is running for attorney general of the state of California right where we're sitting and he has served in the Trump administration as deputy assistant attorney general here in the United States, but he has given that up so to speak. It looks plain in a moment to come back home to fight for California and I got to tell you folks, I think you know this. I am tired of people writing California off. It's the greatest state in this union. It's the most beautiful and by far I think it's the most resourceful and it's not gold and it's not just oil. It's brains and hearts and minds and the spirit that we'll see in this man today. Michael, it's awesome to have you with us and I listen, we're brothers in Christ and we praise the Lord. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable in any way. I want you to just let it out man. What in the world? Tell us a little bit about yourself but you got to answer this. Why in the world would you leave such a a powerful position in the Department of Justice to come back to California? But before you answer that, who's Michael Gates? Well, thank you so much for having me. It's an honor to be with you and we've done this before so I know you have a fantastic church. You've got a great reputation and you've got a great, great congregation and audience and so I love sharing all of this with all of you. So thank you for having me. So my story is it's an interesting one. So I was born in the Midwest but when I was a kid, my folks moved to Huntington Beach, California and so I've been a California guy my whole life and I love it. Not only the weather but there's just something about California. It's just so different than any of the place in the country. Certainly different than the Midwest that I was from. My mom was always enamored with Hollywood and just the the pizzazz and you know back then when we came here, you know, it was a relatively conservative state politically but I think what's most important isn't just that it was a red state versus now a blue state but you know it was a safe state. We didn't have rampant crime. We did not have skyrocketing costs of living here. We did not have exorbitant gas taxes. We did not have the fraud and the waste and abuse that we're hearing about now. California and I said this this morning at my press conference when I launched my run for attorney general. Simply put California has lost its way and it's lost its way because the elite Sacramento class of leaders is just completely divorced and out of touch with everyday Californians and that's why I'm running. I am very passionate about politics. I'm very very very passionate about the law. I tell people all the time I love the law. I'm a lover of the law. I'm very much into justice. You know there's mercy too but justice and what I have seen in California now for years is just rampant injustice. It's injustice to everyday Californians who are working so hard Pastor Jack just to make ends meet and then the odacity they work so hard long days blood sweat and tears just to put food on the table. They get home and turn on the radio or the TV and they hear about how the political class in Sacramento has squandered their money. Yep. Like it's shocking to me. It's such an insult. These are Californians who are literally on the brink right financially they're on the brink and they turn on the radio and TV and Newsom is saying oh yeah we lost $24 billion of your tax money like it's you know it's supposed to go to solving the homeless problem but oh it's lost it's gone it's disappeared and oh well and then he moves on like he didn't ask the attorney general to investigate where it went. He did not ask for an investigation. Let's find this money. Yeah he probably dare not. Let's find this money that belongs to the taxpayers that we are shepherds of and we've lost it right so the reason I'm running I've been a fighter on my life you know my press conference this morning I was telling I was telling the folks who were there in the media look I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. My folks I came from a big Catholic family have had a lot of siblings very very blue collar and frankly we spent many days at the food pantry at the local church for food clothing and diapers. My folks grounded out they worked hard paycheck to paycheck had a big family and they taught me look pray depend on God but you have to go out and fight. Yeah that's right whatever you are going to have in life that's right you have to fight for it and so at a very young age I mean I think you know might be some of the Irish stock I have in me but at a very young age I learned you have to go out and fight and really make a difference right and so that's really where my career path took a turn in 2014 I actually left private practice which was very lucrative I was a partner at a law firm in 2014 I ran for city attorney in Huntington Beach and I got elected right got reelected in 2018 and got reelected in 2022 so I was the elected city attorney for 10 years in Huntington Beach and I loved the fight there because I got to represent one of the greatest cities in the city California it is amazing yeah and taking on Sacramento Sacramento so I have a record of fighting Sacramento which is yes really makes me the perfect candidate to run for attorney general because now I can I've learned so much I know where the fights are I sort of know where the bodies are buried I know what the issues are I can go to Sacramento and make even I think a greater difference than what I've been able to do as the city attorney of Huntington Beach but to directly answer your question I love to fight for the people I really do it's a passion of mine I left a lucrative career right as a partner at a firm yeah to fight for the people and I believe in this state I know that this country is a gift from God I believe that this state is a gift from God and I'm I'm not giving up on it like you yeah you're opening remarks you know you're not giving up Pastor Jack I'm not giving up and I'm gonna keep fighting and and so many people have said look look you're at the height of your career when you're the deputy assistant attorney general for the US Department of Justice just you know last year that's the height you know why don't you do something different why or why don't you retire right like that was amazing I'm like no I've got more fighting me yeah I want to take this to Sacramento and I want to fight for the folks imagine to your point too if we could return California back to the people yeah take it out of the hands of the political elite in Sacramento and give it back to the people of California and my slogan is I want to make California safe for families yeah and I want safe communities because when we can reduce crime and get the homeless off our streets and make our environment safe yes our families will prosper yes and our businesses will want to stay and prosper they have been leaving in droves because crime is up taxes are up it's just a hostile work environment to do business in right it's a hostile work environment to prosper in and I want to reverse that yeah I want to work very hard and aggressively to reverse that we can make California a welcoming state again that's right a prosperous state a family friendly state and so I'm all in yeah I'm all in yeah it's amazing because it's such a great place going back in time now I'm going to sound like a dinosaur to to maybe you are certainly some of the young people who watch our podcasts but I remember growing up in Southern California and in writing for example in the summer writing my bike to the beach being gone for 12 13 14 hours you know I had to check in with a nickel you know to call home but life was safe you could do that and I did that all my young life and then I go to the Reagan years people forget Ronald Reagan was our governor and this state was the place to be and and then I don't know what happened maybe you do but something I don't know if we got distracted or whatever but and I'll just be blunt you're not saying this I'm saying this that there it used to be a two-party battle and with that there was some sort of balance there was an ebb and flow but now for far too long it has been a one-party state people will say oh the Republicans don't know what they're doing well maybe some Republicans don't but we know this for a fact proven in California is that the Democrats absolutely either a do not know what they're doing in California or scarier than that is that they do know what they're doing in California because I have gone to to the Capitol and I've testified over various issues and Michael I got to tell you I was shocked at the level of on the level that's the wrong I couldn't believe the people I that I was having to answer to their skill sets were so low their inability to communicate and articulate and they have positions of power where they're writing bills and they're passing bills with the supermajority where California now has become a laughing stock of dumb laws and as you and I sit here I was hearing news today that there's maybe you know about this but there's some sort of possible threat by Newsom to punish billionaires in California do you know what that's about I do and to answer your earlier point it's a little bit of they're incompetent and then it's a little bit of they do know what they're doing and they don't care even if it harms off I think it's a combination of the two there is an initiative to to exact a tax a wealth tax on billionaires and if that were ever come to pass and be signed into law or become law that would just be devastating it's not because simply that you know maybe the math doesn't work for the billionaires what that's that's not that's not the point on the one hand no wealth tax would ever plug the holes that Newsom and you want to have created in our budget and in our economic system here in California that's that's that's the one issue but the bigger issue in my mind is it's just more hostility towards Californians because now they're going to drive out the billionaires before that ever goes into law right so we've already heard I don't know if you've seen this but I was reading an article yesterday before so last year two trillion dollars left California and now this year I think already a trillion has left California that's staggering that's frankly devastate that's right and so the the Sacramento's got to change we have got to do better we have got to get back to serving the people of California so yeah I mean I just think it's a lot of incompetence and and it's a lot of they just don't care and it's like I said they're out of touch they're completely divorced and you know that's the thing that you know I bring I think to this to this campaign or this candidacy is you know I have so much experience you know you talk about they're incompetent please tell us yes I mean and I don't mean to pet myself on the back but but if you normally attorney general candidates are just career prosecutors you know normally attorney general candidates are hey look I've done 25 or 30 years at this DA's officer I was the DA and so I've prosecuted tons of crime look I've done that too I've prosecuted a lot of crime on behalf of Huntington Beach when I was at the DOJ's office last year I was in charge of a whole team of attorneys who are prosecuting criminal crimes criminal hate crimes and things like that I've done that too in fact in Huntington Beach I started a criminal prosecutor program myself at the city level in 2017 in direct response to prop 47 and 57 yep because with the passage of 47 and 57 in 2014 crimes went up quality of life crimes went up so I literally started a criminal prosecutor division in the city attorney's office in 2017 because of that crime dropped by double digits in Huntington Beach and it's been dropping ever since yep that I have that I've done that what else I've also prosecuted elections laws at the federal level I sued California when I was with the DOJ I sued Orange County California when I was with the DOJ we sued not only to enforce to ensure that there's a voter registration system in the state that's clean and effective but also in legally compliant law compliant but also that there are clean voter rolls we sued over dirty voter rolls and as we know that clean voter rolls equal clean elections right so I've and I was in court arguing those cases myself I've done that no candidate for attorney general can ever could ever say that I've been fighting the state of California for the past 10 years over legislative overreach right no candidate for attorney general can say that and has ever been able to say that I have ushered in voter ID into Huntington Beach which was the first and only in the state I was the architect of that law and I defended it in a drove nuisance crazy right so so whether it's voter ID or fighting the state over high density housing mandates which I did for 10 years or elections laws I have done all of these things and frankly the attorney general is responsible for all those things so frankly I am the perfect fit in terms of experience and skill to be plugged in as attorney general clean up our elections stop legislative overreach fix sort of the housing mandate yes on flipped right and a fight crime and homelessness I worked with our local police department in Huntington Beach for the past five six years when the homelessness spiked because of our work with our police department homeless the homeless population in Huntington Beach reduced by over 60 percent there is a way to get our homeless off the streets yes and Sacramento just simply refuses to do it so and here's the thing this is the difference between I think sort of the I'll just call it far left leaning governing philosophy and everybody else in California this is the difference yeah they believe the far left liberal elites in Sacramento they believe that you and I as Californians have to live with a certain number of things a certain number of burdens right we have to live with a certain amount of homeless on the street we have to that's what they believe they believe we have to live with a certain amount of crimes they believe that we have to they believe that we need we should be able to suck up or live with a certain gas tax high gas tax they believe that they believe that we should live with a cost of living that's out of control they believe that that's the difference they believe that all of that is wrong we mean and candidates like Steve Hilton and others want to get into office in California so we can say no Californians shouldn't have to live with those high crime rates they shouldn't have to live with those homeless populations they shouldn't have to live with high gas taxes we just believe the opposite the exact Californians shouldn't because when they don't Pastor Jack they're free they get their individual liberties they're free to spend money they're free to travel they're free to walk down the street in their neighborhoods and not feel like they're going to get mugged they're free they have more freedom when they don't have those burdens imposed upon them you know what you just said sorry flashback squirrel moment for me so what you just articulated I saw in my mind getting on the soaring over California ride at at California adventure at Disneyland and it shows you old California it shows you Jack Northrup Northrup aerospace it shows you Howard Hughes it shows you all of these great things that took place Curtis these the aviation industry think of the computer industry think about the freeway network originated here everything was so epic and cutting edge California that we became the the end of the world because people were free to create think about if Apple or Microsoft or I don't know who again Northrup or whoever for them to try to do a business all over again in their garage the local governments would shut them down right there's none of that going to happen again that kind of stuff that the state was free to create to make money to build business to hire people to be that place where 49 other states said honey pack up the car get the kids we're going to California and of course now once again here we go I just saw it again California the mass exodus of talent and of resources out of this state and you know people are leaving here crying about it I hear about it as a pastor all the time they don't want to leave California and so do you believe I think I know the answer this I just want to hear your passion do you believe that this is the time finally for even Democrats that vote with some form of reason could actually write this ship I do and I I believe and look as somebody for the past 10 years as the city attorney of Huntington Beach who's been in politics and has I guess developed a skill for having a good appreciation for what the public sentiment is what people's concerns are what their priorities are which you know it takes a while to understand the community that's around it does take a while it's you know I know that California right now is fed up yes I know that Republicans independents and Democrats alike Californians are smarter than the political elites and Sacramento give them credit for absolutely they're waking up and you know the thing is is the Sacramento elites stepped in it right like they didn't do themselves any favors like to watch LA burn like it did last year uh shocking um and then for instance for the attorney general to look at that and say hey you know there are some serious transgressions there there might be some serious crimes there let's investigate this he took a pass on all that he didn't he didn't even bother to look to see you know was the first response adequate did something go wrong did something happen that led up to right you know what happened and you know what allowed those fires to burn what allowed LA to burn no interest no no concern and so you know we just have to get back to like I said common sense governance I don't think running a state like this is that difficult look we've got we've got leaders in office right now yeah that are simply making selfish decisions out of touch decisions if we get back to basics and simply govern for the people just focus on reducing crime just focus on reducing homelessness just clean up the fraud like look if there are stories about fraud if there are concerns and it's about fraud investigated that right fix it don't turn to blind eye to it that's right I um I was asked some time ago uh by a person that was running for office um they asked me what my thoughts were they asked me I mean I wasn't running I'm not running they asked me what I thought about the homeless problem and I said well you don't remember something uh I was born raised here I remember when there wasn't a homeless problem and well what you know kind of like cut them off guard and I said well you know what it doesn't have to be because if you go back 10 15 20 25 30 40 years ago there was not in fact there were vagrancy laws where somebody passed in through who was a bum and I mean a real bum they wouldn't work if they were handed a job they didn't want to work they were a bum you had to hit the road you were driven out of town um so there's a way to deal with it it's just the will yeah where is the will for those to support the laws that are on the books I love what you just said a moment ago somebody might think California you know it's like a country well yes it is but it's most unique in that if you just let the people do their job and live their lives right people want excellence in this state right and our history has shown that right and we have a history I think if you look at the history like to your point about how we used to be safer and and pretty much zero crime zero homeless like look if Sacramento would get out of the way right and let local prosecutors do their job let local police departments do their job it's music you know one of the things that's particularly frustrating for me because in addition to all of the other experiences I've had I've also literally personally defended police officers in court when they were sued for their for doing their job for doing their job for doing their job um in fact there was one case I had a couple years ago where a plaintiff came in and sued two of our police officers for an officer involved shooting for twenty million dollars and that's a case that most states would or I'm sorry most cities would just settle right they would just settle it like twenty million dollars oh let's give them ten million dollars to go away and you know what I said no and my city council backed me on this I believe in our police officers I believed in their use of force I believed in what they did was just I took it to trial there's a five week trial and we got a complete defense verdict excellent a complete defense verdict so if you let the police and the local prosecutors manage their own towns manage their own cities fight crime then crime is going to be reduced I believe strongly that there's an agenda coming out of Sacramento and I said that's a moment ago that they literally literally believe that we as Californians should and have to live with a certain amount of crime they want that for us and that's clear as day by the results they want us to live with a certain amount of homeless because homeless could be solved overnight let me share something with you you know we had a border problem under Biden right tens of thousands of people would cross every single day absolutely right I saw it I went down there I watched it all we heard was all we need immigration reform we needed immigration reform we need immigrant and I would tell turn to my wife and say there's already a bunch of laws on the books we don't leave more laws we just need to just shut these laws the doors right so then Trump wins he gets in and he's like you know what we're simply going to enforce the laws that are on the books and guess what no more border crossings and crime and homelessness in California is the same way yeah there are already crimes on the books let's enforce them yeah and on homeless there's already anti-camping anti-loitering right and there's anti-public intoxication we have those laws let the local police enforce them we need prosecutors to back them and we need an attorney general who's going to expect our prosecutors to back our local enforcement and I'm that guy yeah I am going to ensure that our district attorneys are supporting our police and when I brought in our ushered in our criminal prosecutor program in Huntington Beach crime dropped because our police knew that I had their back well I was watching you and the city during that time and I watched because I'm I may be ugly but I'm not stupid I watched under your care the property values in Huntington Beach rise and Huntington Beach became a beach city that was wise to invest in because it had good governance and it made a world of difference in fact you guys dramatically influenced Newport Beach I don't know how much they learned from you but they certainly saw what excellent governance looks like before we lose any of our viewers if they might have to head off to work or go wherever well how can people support you well thank you for that if they go to gates for ag.com all the G A T E S the number four ag.com there's a website it's got my bio and introduction it's got some of the issues that I'm working on there's an explanation for some things and there's a there's a link a donations link and as you know I told you this before we started the program you know this is going to be a grassroots effort has to be I've launched this I had my press conference this morning I've already had overwhelming response some donations are already coming in I'm very happy about that if your audience if you're congregation anybody who's watching says I believe in this guy yes um we need a new attorney general we need to support this guy yes and we need to take on Bonta they can go to that website and I'm asking them to please consider clicking the donations link because even if they can only donate $25 oh my goodness that's massive that's massive and I know you have a you have a great audience on your broad support and imagine if everybody just said hey look I'm gonna I'm gonna follow Pastor Jack's lead I'm gonna click on his website I'm gonna click on the donation donation absolutely and I'm just gonna donate 25 or $100 that will add up and that is gonna be tremendous for us everybody think about that for a second 25 bucks 25 bucks if a million people send 25 bucks this election is is done and you might say well Jack you know that's you know what about the Lord yes the Lord but listen here's the thing we're gonna talk about the Lord in a moment but uh the scripture says in Proverbs 29 verse 2 it says that when a righteous man is empowered the people rejoice but when the wicked rule the people groan California has been groaning and it's time for us to rejoice but like John Jay the first Supreme Court Justice of the United States John Jay one of our founding fathers he said it's preferable that we elect Christians into public office can you believe the first Supreme Court Justice of the United States said that it's because we are founded upon Judeo Christian worldview values and we are a republic we are constitutional republic which by the way if you notice democrats can't say those two words they actually can't they cannot say constitutional republic they can only use the word democracy which we are not we are a constitutional republic folks if brothers and sisters if good men and women like Michael Gates running for attorney general here in the state of California get into office then this is exactly the direction that we need to go because it's God honoring for one thing but listen honestly even if Michael Gates was an atheist and he's not with his expertise and his love for the state you should vote for people like that but we have an added bonus this is God providing the answer to so many people who say oh I can't vote for anybody because none of them are believers we have a believer sitting here right with us right now and so tell us a little bit about your family yeah your faith yeah yeah no I'm happy to and as you are proud to be God fearing and to be Christian and not afraid to invoke Jesus's name likewise I am too and a lot of politicians get up and say a lot of things yeah a lot of politicians will get up and say oh I love Jesus too I will tell you I think it's in large part because my parents their commitment to each other their love their commitment to God their commitment to faith and the large family had a lot of siblings it was just such a rich environment to grow up in in in loving the Lord right loving God we went to church every Sunday we would say prayers as a family almost every day my mother beat into us to say our nighttime prayers and our morning prayers right so it was just a way of life when we were kids and I carried that forward to be candid I don't want to call my wife out but she was agnostic I'm growing up even into high school and she converted and she has embraced Jesus and so we are we have married almost 30 years we have five children thank you and four grandchildren what yes thank you I know I know it's it's a miracle I know my wife is here to look too young for all that yeah but but it's it's a testament to God's guidance in my life and God's providence the gifts and the blessings that he's bestowed upon me and and you know this kind of goes back and answers one of your earlier questions why are you doing this I've been blessed so much particularly with the skill set and the education and experience that God has given me that I feel like I owe it frankly to California to pursue this but you know I pray every day I love praying because I truly love Jesus Christ I'm in love with him and I it for me it's just part of my life yeah and if if I give up and lose everything in my life I won't lose that I'm going to I will absolutely continue to be faithful continue to serve him I prayed this morning before my press conference my wife and I prayed on the way here as we sat in traffic for an hour and a half yes and so we're we really are truly constantly in prayer constantly asking for guidance and frankly that's why I'm here and that's how I got here yeah because I asked God for guidance and he guided me here yeah this was not random if you kind of sort of knew more detail and more of the circumstances you'd be like it's a wonder that I'm even here running for California Attorney General so so it's just remarkable in a lot of ways but not surprising yeah because I pray I ask for that guidance the grace the knowledge the wisdom and he gives it to me and he says yes he does it's funny because I was trying my wife that God's got a sense of humor we pray and pray and pray we pray and pray pray so hard and we never know exactly what tomorrow brings and then when it happens we're like oh my gosh that's amazing we're surprised yeah I know but but but then we say but we asked for this right like we prayed for this so we shouldn't be surprised right funny I do the same thing yeah yeah I'm embarrassed admitted but it's the same thing yeah and my my staff will laugh at me on Sunday morning because before service I'll actually be wondering is anyone going to come today is anyone going to show up and then you know thousands of people come but every day it's just another step forward in God's grace his mercy and his grace but what what are some of the things that I should be asking you that it's burning and Michael's heart to share maybe I haven't touched on it um but yeah is there something that I'm missing that these people on this show need to know well I think um in part of it is just my authentic commitment to doing what's right for the state of California I think that's an important point because it's it's hard to I think it's hard for voters and and viewers to sort of pierce through and find out who is this guy he's you know he's a politician look first of all I'm I'm a son of God right like first foremost I'm a family man I'm a patriot I love this country yes and then I'm a politician right like so that that so I see myself as a lawyer a top lawyer I love the law you know there's there's so much about who I am that really isn't politician but I'm I'm glad to be here I'm looking forward to this race I'm glad I have the political experience that I've had in the past so it this is real for me this is real for me on the one hand on the other hand you know if if the if the audience can take away you know what does this guy bring to the table I think a lot yes and a lot means I can do a lot of good in the as the attorney general again I I fought elections laws I fought to enforce elections laws at the federal level and at the local level in California I have been there I have done that I have actually been in court I've defended our police in many many lawsuits in court I was a experienced accomplished trial attorney in court defending our police and before that are Orange County Sheriff's so I have been in court for years defending our police I not only fought crime as a prosecutor I started a criminal prosecutor program in Huntington Beach yep I want to do all of this for California in fact you know a few of the to-do's that I've put together for when I get into office one of which is to enforce prop 36 on day one right we've got new some in Bontan saying oh we can't we don't have funding you know what Malarkey that is the law of the land the voters passed prop 36 yep and we need we have a duty to enforce it but also I want to reach out to cities and say hey look if your police are being sued for their use of force attorney general's office will be there to offer resources and guidance on defending a police I want to help cities more cities start their own criminal prosecutor programs in the city at the city level just to put it into context for you in Orange County there are 34 cities Huntington Beach when I started that prosecutor program in 2017 we were the second city only the second city to have a city level prosecutor program I want city level prosecutors in every city there are 482 cities in the city of California I want 482 city level prosecutors fighting crime alongside their district attorneys so there are things I want to do I want to help cities become charter cities if there are general law cities and they want to become a charter city I want to help them become a charter city good so there are a lot of things that we can do pastor jack love it to return the power back to the people local community exactly local control where you feel a part in parcel with your community you have a stake in it's it matters what goes on within your city limits matters to you exactly that's old school right and and these are no other attorney general candidate would be talking like this and certainly Bonta would never be talking like this and attorney general Bonta frankly I'm not sure he ever spent a day in court where I've spent my entire career in court I know how to win these cases I know how to prosecute and I know how to do this for the American people I'm going to be nice right now about yes okay so um you mentioned something earlier about how for example they knew some of his response or Bonta's response to uh prop 36 is we don't have them funds to do that but they certainly find the funds to do all of their really stupid stuff uh what did I just see today or yesterday that the California solar industry uh just collapsed on itself yeah in fact that crazy thing going up i15 yeah they're they're taking that all down billions of dollars spent lost gone we've got Gavin Newsom's uh railway thing that I don't know what insane they always find my money your money to do their thing yeah but um I'll be the one who says this don't even you know I don't want you to get yourself in trouble it seems to me as a spectator that if I'm going to be gracious and nice the Democrat party in California is extremely um uneducated and um just as a horrific low bar for excellence that's if I'm being nice if I'm not being nice they have a vision to come together to craft the most egregious bills and laws to destroy American freedoms here in California and to rob us of our protections and to rob us of our money so much so that if I was a bad if I had bad thoughts I would think that they are intentionally trying to destroy California and thus the nation uh because I'm I do if I was a bad person I would be thinking they are deliberately they're not dumb they're they're like an army trying to destroy this place intentionally well in the way I describe it I have in the past and I will as as the campaign moves forward is it's really a wanton disregard for the will of the people um not implementing doing what it takes to implement and effectuate prop 36 is an absolute wanton disregard by Sacramento elite for the will of people that was voted on and that was passed and that should be fully implemented the new budget that Newsom introduced a week ago has not a single dollar committed for this next year to prop 36 how is it that an initiative can be placed on the ballot it can pass with the majority and then Sacramento just says well we're just going to pretend it doesn't exist or we're going to ignore it it's an absolute wanton disregard um and so that's part of what I was saying earlier that that the the Sacramento elite they're just completely out of touch they're completely divorced from Californians divorced from reality and it's in large part because they think they're better than us they think they're smarter than us and when we pass dumb laws like prop 36 they're just going to pretend that never happened and they literally they ignore the will of the people all the time all the time all the time and and they they they do us because they do things like if you go back and look at the language of prop 4757 Kamala Harris literally blessed language that expressly stated that this these props were about making communities safer yeah when those were but 47 specifically designed opposite fake felonies and make them misdemeanors and then you can't even enforce those misdemeanors according to the prosecutors and so it literally was the opposite yeah so they are they total total disrespect for Californians you mentioned earlier and I can feel it from people I hear it from people why should I even register to vote why should I vote it's the voter fraud it's so messed up California will never turn around but again my argument is if you have that attitude it is definitely guaranteed not to turn around you got to get involved in the fight you got to do the right thing no matter what bottom line is that is it possible I know you did it in Huntington I mean I think I know the answer I'm just being sarcastic right sure is it possible that when you become attorney general that you can recover somehow the voting integrity of the entire state so there are state laws that compromise frankly voter integrity including SB I think it's SB 1147 if my memory serves correctly where the state passed a law in 2024 to ban cities to ban cities from having local voter ID laws and that was directly in response to Huntington Beach's voter that's right right so it was new legislation designed to ban punished he and that was new some angry right but what the state the legislature has done is they've effectively and this is you know this is the type of thing I'll get into when I'm attorney general but they've effectively violated the California Constitution excuse me because the California Constitution under Article 11 Section 5 provides for charter cities to be able to manage their own local police departments without interference from the state and to manage the manner of elections locally without interference from the state and a whole host of other local control matters right local governance matters so they're legislatively ignoring the California Constitution and we are going to get back when I'm attorney general get back to a constitution driven form of government both state and federal because another thing that resonates and I think frankly has offended a lot of Californians is this whole issue of Title 9 right yes and whether it's you know men and girls sports or females whatever whether it's sports education whatever and so we're going to get back to the honoring title 9 in all of our sports and education yes throughout the state of California there are laws out there whether federal laws the US Constitution California Constitution that are higher authorities that again our legislature demonstrating wanton disregard they're just ignoring it and unfortunately a lot of our courts are sort of rubber stamping whatever comes out of the legislature excuse me yep and when I'm attorney general we are going to be putting out opinions explanations for how the attorney general interprets the constitution and we are going to be making probably new arguments in court if not just maybe older older arguments that have been abandoned sure that hey there's a California Constitution here that allows cities to do this or that or the other thing or whatever there are federal laws like Title 9 that we have to honor right right and so we are going to be a constitution driven attorney general office and that is going to be the starting point and the constitution is not going to be something to be disregarded or forgotten or challenged by the state legislature so good we are going to get back to Constitution driven form of justice in California I promise you I guarantee it it's awesome the scriptures tell us that we need to return back to the former foundations I mean these things over the over man's life on this earth have been proven tried and tested and so yeah I believe you know our theme has been for these last I don't know 10 years maybe longer come back California which we utilize every two years whenever there's election we inform the electorate what's what is on the ballot you know how do you register to vote a lot of people don't realize that that even a church can host voter registration we can have town halls all those kinds of things but Michael I want to encourage you Gina Gleason and myself and a few others we've been standing in this water for a very long time and we were mocked we were ridiculed we were told that we were you know bad Christians for being political which that was never the case we were Christians and I was a pastor educating people about their constitutional rights that I believe are given to us by God all of that said now we're at a point where for example we're going to be coming up pretty soon in the wonderful city of Huntington Beach we are going to be hosting our second event of pastors stay wide that will come to the Huntington Hyatt they're going to come we're paying for that we're going to give them a night and meals and we're going to have speakers educating them on their biblical and civic duty to get involved because that is how this nation works and that's how this state works I'd love to stop by I think we're going to make sure that you do stop by so having said that I believe that when things look bad when you're standing for what's right and things look bad when it looks like you're about ready to lose I mean this this not the history of our nation wash how is it that Washington lost almost every battle and wound up winning the war when things look bad the believers not to pack up and go home we're to keep standing and and so I'm just thrilled that you're running when you text me I forget when it was you said I'm running for attorney general it's just like yes I got to be honest with you I was a little bummed with Trump when when he snatched you away from Huntington Beach I happened to have been in the Roosevelt room and Trump was about this far away I was sitting at this seat where you're at you would have been Trump and there was about 12 of us in the room and the world talking and and I said President Trump please don't forget he was he was talking about all these great things strides that he's been making in these other states he never once brought up California I said President Trump please remember California and he said what but California is gone and well this is I didn't tell him this part California may be gone but I do know that his biggest fundraising events have been in Southern California so well I wanted to say well it may be gone but you like its money but the point is California no sir I don't I can't give up like that well maybe your voice in his mind is haunting him because now he's you know turned his sights on California with regard to all of the concerns about fraud and things like that so so there may be something there and maybe we can give you credit for that who knows but look and this again goes back to when when you said you know why why are you running Pastor Jack I'm just so hopeful I'm I'm always full of hope and my wife says oftentimes you know I'm like stupidly optimistic why are you so optimistic and for me my wife calls me E or yeah but for me you know hope is a virtue yeah yeah and for me to be hopeful is is pretty natural I and I am very hopeful for California and that's sort of what fuels my fight my my motivation and I frankly think that we're getting to the point and again the circle's back to another question you had earlier where the general population Democrat independent Republican alike the tide is turning a little bit and I think they're becoming they're going to become or they're becoming more hopeful that there are better days yeah just look at Steve Hilton yep right how is it well a couple things one why aren't there any leading Democrat candidates for governor that we have been sucking the oxygen out of the room in terms of media coverage for the past year and a half yeah they don't exist they don't exist senator padea took a pass right want to just took a pass yeah everybody's taking a pass nobody wants to touch this governor's race that's right on the Democrat side right right so that tells you something that's right that things are broken in California and and it needs fixing but I I think the fact that Steve Hilton is the leader among he's I way ahead of all the Democrats on fundraising too yeah I don't if you saw that I did see 5.7 million in the bank and and he's got over 30,000 different contributors which is what I'm hoping for I'm I'm hoping for yes that you can help us get over 30,000 gates for a g a g dot org or com com gates for a g dot com I gave I gave one of your guys my QR code so hopefully that hopefully that'll pop up on the screen they'll do it yeah but um but I think that that should tell you a lot that speaks volumes that Hilton is way ahead of all the Democrat candidates with 5.7 in the bank 5.7 million in the bank he's got over 30,000 different contributors there's this grounds well and I've been telling people really for a year that there's a lot of sort of political topsy turvy or unrest in California and I do think a lot of it came from the palisades fires and and how people are just unforgiving when it comes to the way Karen Bass and other leaders have handled that and right exactly right totally absolutely rightfully so right but I do think we're at this point and so I'm very very hopeful yeah this year that if we can really get Californians to take action to not simply sit on their couch and say I'm a Democrat or I'm an independent or I'm a Republican and I don't like what's going on in California I don't want them to just throw up their hands and say but either my vote doesn't matter or it doesn't matter or it wouldn't matter if I did anything I don't want them to think that this time that's right I really want them to have hope and if they could have the hope that I have for this state if they could say you know what I am going to take action I'm going to go to Steve Hilton's website or I'm going to go to Michael Gates's website I'm going to get involved in this attorney general race whether it's to sign up and endorse him I I've actually on my website get involuntary right and so uniquely on my website I'm asking for any member of the community to endorse me a lot of times you see a politician say oh I want to have a senator endorse me or whatever actually I'm getting those endorsements as well the Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes just endorse me yesterday great so we're getting those endorsements but I want the community to endorse me yeah I want my people my neighbors my friends and neighbors to sign up and endorse me yeah because their endorsement matters as much to me as the lofty endorsements right I want absolutely to do this as a team and so if we can get people a groundswell of people to say I'm going to take action I'm going to click on that website I'm going to put my name in and I'm going to endorse Michael Gates for attorney general even though I'm an accountant and I'm not a politician or even though I'm a construction worker and I'm not a politician even though I want all the even those out there all the forgotten people who feel like California has left them the leadership has left them I want them to join the team and if they can like you said earlier make a donation of $25 $50 $100 imagine if we got a million people to do that exactly why not why not why not so now is the time Pastor Jack right people need to be invigorated they need to have a little bit of passion and say I'm going to do something to make a difference well to follow up with what you just said and the challenge that he just gave us um I'll say it this way the those who you would think would never would never ditch the Democrat party we know for a fact I'm talking about people in the Santa Monica Malibu Hollywood Bel Air Brentwood areas the Burbank's okay the Encinos those cities where some of the richest people in America live they are fed up and when they're home and this is not a few you know this when their homes of these elites have been invaded by El Salvadorian gang members they're so fed up and angry that we've heard them say I'm done now yeah it's over I am I'm not going to leave my mansion in Bel Air but what I am going to do is vote differently now yeah and so by you running I just I'm looking at you and my lungs are filling up with some air because you're an answer to prayer and we're just thrilled and excited yeah to be with you on this launch today I do believe today was your day it was an official launch I'm just excited about this but I want you to know that whatever we can do to help you out along the way we're going to be with you all the way through and well let me if you don't mind let me let me let me cast you know what you said in these terms look wanting zero crime in your neighborhoods is nonpartisan that's right wanting homeless off the street and into places where they can get the services they need is nonpartisan that's right wanting lower gas taxes is nonpartisan wanting local control is nonpartisan even on those housing fights we've got Los Angeles fighting the state of California because of these massive high density projects going into areas of Los Angeles that people don't want it there either exactly a lot of the issues we're going to be talking about on the campaign trail Pastor Jack it's nonpartisan why because it's common sense we've got Democrats who agree with us we've got independence who agree with us and Republicans and I'm going to tell you another thing you know we're going to be speaking directly to the Latino community good because they are the forgotten people that's right there are the abused people I think Democrats take them for grand absolutely and Republicans really frankly have never spoken to them and so we are going to have a massive outreach and we're going to speak to them in Spanish too part of my speech this morning at the press conference was given delivered in Spanish I want our abuelitas to be able to go to their local Mercado sin miedo right without fear yes we want our our grandmothers to be able to walk to their local stores without fear and that's not happening in a lot of neighborhoods right now and so we literally want to return California to the people we want to return the streets to the community that is to let them have their street and safety we want them to be safe and all of this is nonpartisan that's right that's what's so frustrating the Democrat elites in Sacramento may get partisan but they falsely cast it as partisan the reality is none of this is partisan we all want control of our our communities and if you're if you're a Democrat dominated community fine fine that's fine you have control and take it away from Sacramento right don't let Sacramento take it but if you're Republican whatever that it's nonpartisan right wanting control of your local community wanting safety wanting safe streets all of that is nonpartisan so that's really an important point so when folks look at me and say well he's a Republican no no no no I'm talking about the issues that matter to all of us including issues that are near and dear to hearts near and dear to the heart of Democrats and independence alike because we want lower taxes we want lower crime we want safe elections we want our communities to be safe right on and so I think that's a really really important point well you guys were super super excited here in California and I know that many of you are watching perhaps outside of California that doesn't keep you from helping in fact how many according to the data millions of people have left California so maybe you ought to think about throwing something back this way to help Michael Gates become the attorney general of California in this 2026 election cycle thanks could turn around this is going to be probably the most important election in the state of California in decades if not longer but but please do everything you can by all means pray everybody but pray and then act and you can act by going to gates for ag.com gates for the number four ag.com and give them something will you and that's how this works and grassroots is even the best a broad base of support is a powerful statement and so we are encouraged by your action your wife you guys taken on this incredible task and so you have our prayers and I'm delighted to be with you and if I could I just want to thank God for this opportunity I want to thank God for really giving you to me in my life because we didn't know each other we've known each other for fears before that we didn't know each other and when I came to you when I said hey Pastor Jack I I could use your help I want to be able to reach more people and this goes back years this is when I was city attorney you said yes and I want to thank you for that because not a lot of people in a position like yours who would have access to amazing congregations an amazing an amazing audience would say yes and you did so thank God that you did thank God that you have and thank God that you allowed me to come here today so thank you very much and I'm saying yes again thanks brother I appreciate it very much awesome thank you thank you this Jack Hibbs podcast as well as all the broadcast outreach opportunities are listener supported will you consider partnering with us through a special gift go to jackhibbs.com to learn more and stay connected