Ex-Convict Credits Newsom For Early Release, Pledges 2028 Vote

A brief street interview is fueling fresh debate over criminal justice reform in California after a man claiming to be a formerly incarcerated individual said he plans to support Gov. Gavin Newsom in a future presidential bid because of his early release.

The moment came during a man-on-the-street video filmed by independent journalist Nick Shirley, who was asking pedestrians whether they would vote for Newsom in 2028. In the clip, a middle-aged man wearing blue shorts offered a striking answer.

“I vote for him because he got me released. I’m coming home from a life sentence,” the man said, prompting visible surprise from Shirley.

When asked to elaborate, the man added that Newsom “signed off saying I’m fit for society,” before confirming that he would support the California governor in a future election. He also claimed he had been incarcerated for “murder, carjacking, and robbery.”

WATCH:

Nick Shirley is shocked when a California man says of Gavin Newsom, “I’d vote for him because he got me released, coming home from a life sentence… He didn’t hold me back.”

Shirley: “What were you locked up for?”

Man: “Murder, carjacking and robbery.”pic.twitter.com/yvXiGaIgj3

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) March 25, 2026

The short exchange quickly circulated online, drawing strong reactions—particularly from conservative commentators who pointed to California’s broader push toward criminal justice reform under Newsom’s leadership.

Since taking office in 2019, Newsom has granted more than 150 commutations and has supported expanded parole eligibility under policies tied to measures like Proposition 57. The voter-approved initiative, passed in 2016, allows certain nonviolent offenders to be considered for early parole and incentivizes rehabilitation through good behavior and participation in programs.

As Newsom continues to position himself as a potential national figure, his record on criminal justice is likely to remain a focal point—praised by some as forward-thinking reform and criticized by others as a risky experiment.

REACTIONS:

Democrats let criminals out of jail for their votes.

Just like they let criminals into the country for their votes.

— JKash 🍊MAGA Queen (@JKash000) March 25, 2026

We’re so broken. I’m a Christian. So I’ll pray for even the worst offenders to repent and be saved. But we’ve become a society that sympathizes with the criminals and not the victims. And it happens far too often.

— MAGAPatriotNY (@TrumpPatriotNY) March 25, 2026

Gavin Newsom and the Democrats have pretty much locked up the votes of dead Americans and felons.

Maybe one day soon they’ll start trying to appeal to alive, law-abiding Americans too.

— Heartland Grump – Unfiltered (@heartland_grump) March 25, 2026

Usually, when things are so absurd they’re not real. But California is so absurd to begin with, that none of this is even slightly surprising. Gavin Newsom has torched the state.

— Exit the Left (@_ExitTheLeft) March 25, 2026

This is the most Dem California thing I’ve ever seen LOLOLOLOL

— LEAHmemes (@itsreallyleah) March 25, 2026

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