Steve Cortes, Founder of the League of American Workers, said California faces significant challenges including elevated poverty levels and slow recovery from disasters while its governor attends international forums.
“Newsom’s California has the highest poverty rate in America,” said Cortes. “and the Palisades rebuild is a total failure. while Gavin luxuriates in Davos with Soros and other smug elites.”
According to a post by Cortes on January 21, 2026, on X (formerly Twitter), he quoted a Townhall.com post featuring a video of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s comments at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The post endorses Bessent’s views on Governor Gavin Newsom’s presence at the forum and connects it to domestic issues in California. This response reflects conservative perspectives on state leadership and elite associations amid ongoing economic debates.
California holds the highest supplemental poverty rate in the United States at 17.7 percent for 2024, tied with Louisiana. This impacts nearly seven million residents when adjusted for high living costs. One year after the Palisades Fire destroyed over 16,000 structures in Southern California, rebuilding efforts remain sluggish due to permitting hurdles and resource allocation. These metrics underscore persistent regional struggles with affordability and disaster recovery in the state.
Across the United States, supplemental poverty rates vary significantly, from lows like Maine’s 6.7 percent to highs in California and Louisiana at 17.7 percent. These variations reflect differences in cost of living and policy impacts. Globally, gatherings such as the World Economic Forum in Davos facilitate discussions on inequality but often attract criticism for prioritizing elite interests over practical solutions. Such events influence hemispheric policy trends toward conservative economic reforms in response to public demands.
Cortes is also President of League of American Workers and senior political advisor to CatholicVote. He has served as a senior advisor to former President Trump and JD Vance and is a commentator for Fox News and CNN. Cortes regularly releases documentaries and columns at cortesinvestigates.com.
