Inside California's most Republican town where locals recoil at thought of Newsom presidency as they launch bid to oust the governor for a SECOND time

It's conscionable days aft nan first statesmanlike debate, but extracurricular Safeway successful nan Trumpiest municipality successful heavy bluish California, cipher is discussing President Biden's bumbling capacity – aliases moreover that of President Trump who won by a landslide present successful some 2016 and 2020.

Instead, nan talk successful Susanville is each of 1 man: Golden State Governor Gavin Newsom.

And arsenic he positions himself to return complete nan Democratic statesmanlike information should nan 81-year-old Commander-in-Chief front to unit to measurement down, that talk is getting much and much panicky.

Newsom, 56, was beforehand and halfway aft nan statement successful Atlanta, Georgia, connected Thursday night – presenting himself arsenic a vigorous replacement to nan ageing Biden while simultaneously denying immoderate plans to run.

Here, successful northeastern California, 4,100 ft up successful nan Sierra Nevadas, successful nan region spot of state's reddest county, nan imaginable of a Newsom presidency is regarded pinch utter horror.

'Newsom has been perfectly unspeakable for nan families successful Susanville,' writer Kelly Eggert, 58, told DailyMail.com extracurricular nan section Tractor Supply Co.

'In California, nan Democrats person sewage things wrong. They don't person nan champion interests of nan US astatine heart.

'If Newsom became president, he would beryllium a complete nightmare. I deliberation it would beryllium for illustration nan Civil War each complete again.'

While fewer successful Susanville person thing bully to opportunity astir Biden, it is Newsom who draws nan astir flak.

Voters constituent to a grounds that they opportunity includes work for sending nan authorities into nan reddish aft a spending spree connected societal programs, rampant homelessness, and policies that magnitude to a vendetta against blimpish areas.

Along pinch voting heavy for Trump successful nan past 2 elections – 71% successful 2016 and 74% successful 2020 – Lassen County besides led efforts to oust nan California politician successful 2021 and collapsed heavy for his Republican rival Brian Dahle successful nan 2022 Gubernatorial election.

Dahle, 58, who grew up connected a workplace successful a agrarian portion of nan county, now represents nan area successful nan California State Senate on pinch astir of nan Sierra Nevada counties of Northern California.

Like neighboring Modoc, Plumas, and Shasta counties, Lassen is mostly agrarian and is much than 300 miles northbound of San Francisco and 550 miles from Los Angeles.

Susanville, a metropolis of conscionable complete 16,000 group that revels successful nan nickname 'Prison Town' owed to nan 2 biggest section employers: The maximum-security High Desert State Prison conscionable extracurricular nan metropolis limits and Federal Correctional Institution Herlong, 16 miles away.

Until past year, nan municipality was besides location to nan California Correctional Center – unopen down past June by Newsom arsenic portion of an effort to prevention $1.5billion by closing 5 prisons.

Backing connected to High Desert, nan still-standing installation looked forlorn erstwhile DailyMail.com visited and its closure still infuriates locals who saw 300 jobs vanish overnight.

Among them was Eggert's son-in-law who, she said, was capable to transportation to High Desert though not each were arsenic lucky.

'He did this to punish a Republican area,' she said furiously. 'He injured our livelihoods. I deliberation he's trying to get Republicans to move retired of California.'

One personification who agrees is Jackie, 67, who asked not to springiness her past name. 

Outside nan Susanville branch of Safeway, she was soliciting signatures for a caller petition to oust nan Governor – nan 2nd effort since he first assumed agency successful 2019 should it cod nan 75,000 endorsements needed to make it connected to nan ballot successful November.

'I don't judge he has nan capacity to beryllium president,' she said. 'Look what he has done to nan largest authorities successful nan Union. 

'And you want to manus him really galore much states?'

As she said to DailyMail.com, a man drove past successful a ample truck. Catching show of her sign, he shouted 'get free of that sucker!' to a ample information of applause from onlookers.

It's a position that comes up consistently successful Susanville, pinch locals pointing to nan situation closure arsenic good arsenic galore of nan points listed connected nan RescueCalifornia.org petition: nan precocious taxes levied by Newsom's administration, his clasp of woke societal policies, his handling of nan Covid-19 pandemic and nan bum situation that sprang up connected his watch.

'We want to slow down immoderate of nan insanity,' said Jackie. 'Look astatine San Francisco. It utilized to beryllium off-the-rocks beautiful.

'Now look astatine it. People utilized to person a measurement of mingling and now cipher moreover talks to each other. It's truthful polarized and divisive.'

Retired coach Michael Monahan, 71, told DailyMail.com he believes Newsom is corrupt and accused him of persecuting nan Republican parts of California; while conceding he mightiness make a amended president than Biden if only because of his comparative youth.

He said: 'I don't for illustration him astatine all. He's Nancy Pelosi's nephew [Newsom is simply a distant narration by marriage]. I despise Nancy Pelosi.

'She is simply a full hypocrite and each she does is get rich | disconnected of government, which is different problem.

'I person a problem pinch some Democrats and Republicans erstwhile they get filthy, stinking rich | disconnected of their policies – it's each backyard trading and I don't for illustration it.'

Monahan, who antecedently worked astatine nan California Correctional Center, added: 'We're getting persecuted by Governor Newsom which is making much group much angry.

'He's persecuting Lassen County. Guess what he did? He unopen our situation down. He unopen it down.'

Jeremy Caruso, 53, nan editor of section insubstantial Susanvillestuff.com says these views are acold from unique, adding that erstwhile nan thought of shutting down nan California Correctional Center was first mooted, angry Susanville officials considered renaming nan section landfill tract aft nan unpopular governor.

He said: 'I constabulary nan comments connected nan website – we deed astir 30,000 group each greeting and you get a consciousness for really group are thinking.

'You'd beryllium amazed astatine really galore things this municipality tin blasted connected nan Governor.'

That animosity, he added, moreover extends to nan caller presence of hippy corporate nan Rainbow Family who had planned to clasp its yearly gathering successful nan adjacent Plumas National Forest this July 4.

Now unopen down, nan imaginable of 10,000 modern-day hippies descending connected Susanville was capable to punctual nan section constabulary section to rumor dire warnings, telling locals not to interact pinch them and saying they had seen plans to 'puddle' group – dousing them successful an LSD-infused h2o spray.

Caruso added: 'The Rainbow Family coming here. Newsom's fault.'

Not everyone successful Susanville thinks Newsom has been a disaster, among them mom-of-four Laura Hammond, 43, and her fellow Jacob White, 33.

They told DailyMail.com that they effort to enactment retired of authorities and offered a lukewarm endorsement of nan California governor, concluding that he would beryllium an betterment connected Biden because he is truthful overmuch younger.

But firefighter David Sandbond, 60, whose woman and boy some activity astatine High Desert, is much emblematic of this blimpish town.

'We conscionable want to do what we do and beryllium near alone,' he told DailyMail.com. Asked his thoughts connected Newsom, he visibly recoiled and said: 'I'm not going to remark connected that man.'

Regardless of whether Newsom aliases Biden extremity up connected nan Democrat ticket, Sandbond's mind is already made up. 'I'm going to ballot for Trump,' he said. 'Of course.'