Podcast · kabc.com
The John Phillips Show
790 KABC Radio | Cumulus Los Angeles
OC Native John Phillips brings wit, political connections and insight to “The John Phillips Show”. Phillips began his radio career as the youngest major-market radio talk show host in the country. He is also CNN political commentator, a columnist for The Orange County Register and makes regular appearances on cable news. John was formerly a sports anchor and executive producer for “McIntyre in the Morning”, producer for “The Al Rantel Show”, news writer for the KNX Morning News with Frank Mottek and Gail Eichenthal, and a guest host on virtually every show ever cancelled by KABC. Though in his mid-thirties he is a ten-year veteran of KABC John’s interests: The Angels, Palm Springs, movies, cruises, home Improvement and airline travel.
43 claims · Clear filters
True93% confidence7 sourcesOct 17, 2026Shirley Weber is the Secretary of State for California.Said by BThe California Secretary of State's official website states that Shirley N. Weber was sworn in as Secretary of State on January 29, 2021, and other sources published before and around 2026-10-17 identify her as the current officeholder. The claim matches the passage's reference to 'the same Secretary of State, Shirley Weber' and was accurate on the date it was made.True85% confidence5 sourcesOct 17, 2026The federal government previously claimed there were 190,000 ineligible voters in California before reducing the figure to 20,000.Multiple sources, including an ABC7 explainer and The Business Standard, report that federal officials earlier flagged as many as 190,000 potentially ineligible California voters and later narrowed the figure to about 20,000, matching the claim. The sources do not explain the reduction in detail, but the claim itself does not assert an explanation, so the core assertion holds; the claim faithfully tracks the passage.True90% confidence5 sourcesOct 17, 2026California Attorney General Rob Bonta was appointed to his position by Governor Gavin Newsom to fill a vacancy.Said by AMultiple reliable sources state that Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Rob Bonta as California attorney general to fill the vacancy left by Xavier Becerra's departure for HHS secretary. The claim is supported; the sources also show Bonta was confirmed by the legislature, which the claim does not dispute, and the post's wording matches the claim.True95% confidence6 sourcesOct 17, 2026Rob Bonta served as a member of the California state legislature before his appointment as Attorney General.Said by AMultiple sources, including the official California DOJ page, Reuters, the Governor's office release, and Wikipedia-style records, establish that Rob Bonta served in the California State Assembly (2012–2021) before being appointed Attorney General in 2021. The extracted claim is a faithful paraphrase of the post's point that Bonta was a termed-out legislator before Newsom's appointment, and the post's own framing matches the sources' record of his legislative service; the post's rhetoric about his career prospects is not part of the claim graded here.True90% confidence3 sourcesOct 17, 2026Rob Bonta appeared on Fox Business with Neil Cavuto to discuss a proposed wealth tax.Said by BMultiple sources, including a Fox Business article and a Fox transcript from August 2020, show Rob Bonta, then a California assemblyman, was interviewed by Neil Cavuto on Fox Business about his proposed wealth tax (AB 2088). The post's 'Bob Bonta' is the same person, and the claim's core assertion holds; the post's 'laughed off the TV' remark is not part of the extracted claim and was not graded.True93% confidence6 sourcesOct 17, 2026The federal government filed a lawsuit alleging that 20,000 people in California have ballots who should not have them.Said by BThe federal government (DOJ, working with DHS) did file a lawsuit on October 15, 2026, alleging that more than 20,000 registered California voters who are likely noncitizens have ballots they should not have. The claim faithfully reflects the post and the lawsuit was filed before the October 17 posting date; the allegation itself is contested, and a federal judge later declined to block counting, but that does not affect whether the lawsuit was filed with this allegation.Reported in the post, not stated as its own.True95% confidence6 sourcesOct 17, 2026Gavin Newsom appointed Shirley Weber as Secretary of State.Said by AMultiple independent sources (AP, Politico, LA Times, Governor's office, CA Secretary of State) confirm Gavin Newsom selected Shirley Weber in December 2020 to be California's Secretary of State, to replace Alex Padilla after Padilla's Senate appointment; she was formally sworn in January 29, 2021. The claim's wording matches the passage's 'he gave Shirley Weber the Secretary of State's job' without adding anything, and the appointment was a nomination subject to legislative confirmation, which the sources report as completed.True95% confidence4 sourcesOct 17, 2026Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla to a U.S. Senate seat.Said by AMultiple reliable sources confirm that Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla to the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Kamala Harris, announced December 22, 2020 and formally submitted January 18, 2021. The passage's 'he' refers to Newsom, so the extraction is faithful, though the sources do not address the post's claim that the appointment was a political payoff.True90% confidence5 sourcesOct 17, 2026Rob Bonta accepts campaign contributions from Indian tribes.Said by AMultiple sources, including Politico (Oct 2025), CalMatters Digital Democracy (June 2026), and a CalMatters/Digital Democracy record, document that Attorney General Rob Bonta has accepted substantial campaign contributions from Indian tribes, e.g., $531,000 from tribes since 2012 and over $317,000 for his 2022 campaign, and his campaign defended accepting them. The claim's phrasing ('accepts so much money') is a casual characterization of this documented record and matches the passage's assertion; the 'top five issue' remark is not part of the extracted claim.True85% confidence6 sourcesOct 17, 2026Xavier Becerra was appointed as Secretary of Health and Human Services, creating a vacancy in the California Attorney General office.Said by AMultiple sources confirm that Xavier Becerra, California's Attorney General, was picked by Biden for HHS Secretary and confirmed by the Senate on March 18, 2021, and that his departure created a vacancy in the California Attorney General's office. The post garbles the name as "Bakaria" and says "Health and Education Services"; the claim's resolution to Becerra and "Health and Human Services" is a reasonable reading of the post's context and is graded as the post's own.True95% confidence4 sourcesOct 17, 2026Rob Bonta is a candidate for reelection in 2026.Said by BMultiple sources confirm that Rob Bonta was a candidate for reelection as California Attorney General in the November 2026 election, facing Republican Michael Gates, as of the October 17, 2026 posting date. The claim faithfully paraphrases the post's 'this guy is up for reelection' and resolves 'this guy' to Bonta from the post's own references to Bob Bonta.True80% confidence7 sourcesOct 17, 2026The Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against California regarding the counting of 20,000 illegal ballots.The Justice Department sued California and Los Angeles County on October 15, 2026, to stop the state from counting about 20,000 mail-in ballots tied to people it says are likely noncitizens, so the core claim holds as of the October 17 post date. The word "illegal" reflects the DOJ's allegation, which California disputes and no court has adjudicated, and the claim departs from the post only in that it states the ballots as illegal fact.