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🎙️ This Week on So, Does It Matter? The Podcast… Michael Gates, GOP Candidate for California Attorney General
In today’s So, Does It Matter? Podcast I talk with Michael Gates, the Republican candidate for California Attorney General, about his campaign to take on Rob Bonta and what he says he would do on day one as California’s top law enforcement officer.
We started with Michael’s background — his roots in Huntington Beach, his decade as City Attorney, his work in the Trump administration, and the legal battles he led against Sacramento on voter ID, sanctuary-city policies, COVID restrictions, public safety, and taxpayer reimbursements.
From there, we turned to the campaign itself. Michael discussed clearing the Republican field, raising more than $1 million, building a donor base of more than 2,000 contributors, and why he believes the Attorney General’s race may be one of the most important statewide races in California.
We then dug into what an Attorney General Gates would actually do in office. Michael argued that the Attorney General has far more independent constitutional authority than many voters realize — including power over law enforcement priorities, prosecution standards, district attorneys, sheriffs, ballot titles and summaries, and statewide legal strategy.
A major part of the conversation focused on crime, Prop. 36, prosecuting criminals as criminals, confronting progressive district attorneys, protecting constitutional rights, enforcing federal law, defending girls’ sports, and reversing what Michael describes as Rob Bonta’s political use of the Attorney General’s office.
Finally, we talked directly about Rob Bonta — including his political background, his legal spending tied to the Oakland corruption scandal, his connections to indicted political figures, and why Michael believes Bonta is vulnerable in November.
Want To Watch A Particular Part?
00:00 — Welcome, Introducing Michael Gates
02:02 — Gates’ Background, Huntington Beach, And His Legal Record
04:33 — Campaign Update: Clearing The GOP Field
05:54 — Fundraising, Endorsements, And The Million-Dollar Mark
08:05 — What Can A Republican Attorney General Actually Do?
09:01 — The Independent Power Of California’s Attorney General
10:20 — Crime, Prop. 36, And A “Zero Crime” Agenda
12:06 — California Crime Rates Vs. Huntington Beach’s Record
13:32 — Rob Bonta’s Priorities And Suing Trump
14:27 — Day One: Constitutional Rights, CCWs, And Federal Law
15:42 — Schools, Gender Issues, Title IX, And Girls’ Sports
16:34 — Corruption, Waste, Fraud, And Clawing Back Taxpayer Money
18:47 — Ballot Titles, Summaries, And Direct Democracy
22:37 — Rob Bonta, Bontagate, And Campaign Legal Spending
25:40 — Bonta’s Political Allies And Federal Indictments
28:24 — Why Gates Says Californians Should Help His Campaign
29:00 — Gates4AG.com, Social Media, And Final Appeal
A Few Useful Links:
Michael Gates For Attorney General Website.
Michael Gates on X.
And always: Jon Fleischman on X
And you can watch this…
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Wait, there’s more!
Below the paywall, for our paid subscribers, is “One More Thing” with Michael Gates. You don’t want to miss this! Before he went to law school, Michael did… what??
