Activist and perennial presidential candidate Cornel West just dropped a verbal smackdown on California Governor Gavin Newsom, accusing him of patronizing Black voters with his recent comments. In a fiery exchange, West scolded Newsom for what he called a condescending mindset, declaring, Don’t play with us like that. The spat erupted after Newsom, ever the polished progressive, suggested to a group of Black voters that they should prioritize issues like abortion rights over other concerns—implicitly dismissing priorities like economic hardship or public safety that hit urban communities hardest. West, no stranger to calling out elite Democrats, framed it as Newsom treating Black Americans like political props rather than equals with agency.

This isn’t just intra-left family drama; it’s a revealing fracture in the Democratic coalition that gun rights advocates should watch closely. Newsom, the self-anointed king of gun control with his endless assault weapon bans and microstamping mandates, often cloaks his authoritarian policies in social justice rhetoric, positioning himself as the savior of marginalized groups. Yet here he is, getting schooled by West—a radical leftist himself—for talking down to Black voters in places like Oakland and Compton, where sky-high crime rates fueled by soft-on-crime policies make armed self-defense a daily reality. Gallup polls consistently show Black Americans owning firearms at rates rivaling whites (around 25%), often citing personal protection amid failing urban governance. Newsom’s tone-deafness underscores how gun controllers like him prioritize ideology over the lived experiences of the very communities they claim to champion, alienating potential allies and exposing the hypocrisy of their common-sense reforms.

For the 2A community, the implications are electric: as cracks widen in the progressive monolith, opportunities abound to amplify real voices from Black gun owners who reject Newsom’s nanny-state vision. Figures like Colion Noir and the Black Guns Matter movement are already gaining traction, proving that self-reliance resonates across demographics. If West’s rebuke signals more pushback against Democratic elitism, it could erode the racialized narrative that props up gun control, paving the way for broader coalitions. Newsom’s playbook is faltering—time for pro-2A warriors to capitalize, highlighting how the right to keep and bear arms empowers everyone, not just the politically favored.