It's hilarious to see Democrats scramble to pretend that they weren't fully on board with years of "defund the police" and other anti-law enforcement activist initiatives.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is one of them, and according to the Washington Examiner, he recently tried to make it seem as if he was never on board with the anti-police "lunacy" as he described it.

However, the records tell a completely different story. Grant records tell a truth that Newsom can't escape, and he's being called out for it now.

Newsom tried to claim that he didn't support such initiatives during an interview with popular conservative podcaster Charlie Kirk.

What did he say?

According to grant records, Newsom's administration funded millions of dollars into programs meant to suppress police departments.

It was reported that a "hard-line" anti-police nonprofit organization was behind the Newsom administration's program.

The outlet reported:

The grants, worth roughly $9.5 million, were part of the state’s “Community Response Initiative to Strengthen Emergency Systems Grant Pilot Program,” which seeks to discourage the use of police officers for a "crisis unrelated to a fire department or emergency medical service response for vulnerable populations.

One of the more controversial aspects of the program was a push for "unarmed" police responders to tackle "mental health, intimate partner violence, community violence, substance abuse, natural disasters, or other crises."

"The grant funds will help the unhoused population, Latinx/Hispanic Community members, LGBTQ+ community, individuals experiencing behavioral health crises, victims of violence, and families that experienced a traumatic death," one of the grants read at the time of its filing.

The outlet added:

The grant program funding these alternatives to traditional law enforcement was allocated by AB-118, a law approved by Newsom in October 2021. Newsom vetoed an earlier iteration of the bill in 2020, AB-2054, reportedly over concerns about which department the program would be administered by.

Presidential ambitions?

Kirk and others believe that Newsom is attempting to distance himself from the radical, "woke" left, and his interview was pretty solid backing for that theory.

"Newsom is a chameleon, shifting just enough to fool voters," one X user wrote.

Another X user wrote, "I believe Charlie is correct, but Newsom has no chance and is completely discredited."

Only time will tell if Newsom makes the ultimate play to be the next face of the Democratic Party. Crazier things have happened.