What did Benny Johnson allege against Gavin Newsom as Yashar Ali calls out the YouTuber publicly online? (Image via Getty)
Benny Johnson and Gavin Newsom became the center of a loud online fight after a viral post on X drew millions of eyes in just hours. The fight started when Johnson said he was traveling to California to expose what he called “fraud” in the state. In his post, he called California “the fraud capital of the world” and claimed Governor Gavin Newsom’s political career would be ruined once his investigation was done. The post spread fast and crossed one million views in a short time.Soon after, the governor’s press office replied with a sharp message that many saw as mocking Johnson. That reply pushed the situation further. Johnson then posted again late Sunday night, directly attacking Newsom and bringing up his personal life and family. Before Newsom or his office replied again, journalist Yashar Ali stepped in. His long response accused Johnson of spreading harmful claims and crossed lines that, according to Ali, should never be crossed.
Benny Johnson and Yashar Ali clash after Gavin Newsom becomes target of viral accusations
The online fight began last week when Benny Johnson said he was going to California to investigate state fraud. He compared his work to YouTuber Nick Shirley’s past reporting in Minnesota. Johnson also suggested that Newsom would face the same political damage that Minnesota leaders faced after daycare fraud cases came under review. The situation escalated when the governor’s press office reposted Johnson’s message and wrote, “We’ll make sure Grindr servers are ready…” The post was widely shared and criticized.Later that night, Johnson replied with a new post aimed directly at Newsom. He wrote, “Gavin, you cheated on your wife. With your secretary, who was married to your best friend and campaign manager. You admitted all of this publicly. Yikes.”Johnson also mentioned Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, and referred to her past professional connection to Harvey Weinstein.That is when Yashar Ali responded. In a long post on X, Ali said Johnson’s claims were misleading and harmful. Ali wrote, “I know for a fact that he has had intimate interactions with men. I am not the only one who knows this; both conservatives and liberals know this as an open fact.”Ali also explained that Gavin Newsom had already publicly admitted to a past relationship with a former staffer and had apologized for it years ago. He then addressed Johnson’s mention of Newsom’s wife, writing that she had been “raped by Harvey Weinstein” and that he had seen evidence supporting her account.Ali called Johnson’s post “sick” and said bringing up that topic was unnecessary and cruel.The exchange came just days after Governor Newsom submitted the first draft of California’s 2026–27 budget. He proposed $348.9 billion in total spending, which is about $30 billion more than the current budget. California finance director Joe Stephenshaw told media that a revised budget will be presented in May 2026, when Newsom will answer questions directly.Also Read: “Look Cringe”: Link Lauren Calls Golden Globes 2026 Not Funny After Admitting He Avoided All Nominated Movies
