Former Silicon Valley Democratic donor Allison Huynh has become a striking voice in the chorus of Californians rejecting the progressive policies that have dominated the state’s urban centers.
Speaking to Fox News Digital, Huynh offered a scathing critique of her former party, blaming its leftist agenda for the deteriorating conditions in cities like San Francisco. Her comments come in the wake of significant Republican gains in the 2024 elections, a red wave that has reshaped California’s political landscape and sent shockwaves through the Democratic establishment.
Huynh, once a major fundraiser for the Democratic Party, did not hold back in her assessment. “Liberals have just been too leftist, and they’re out of touch with reality,” she said, accusing wealthy Democratic elites of living in a bubble that ignores the struggles of everyday citizens. She pointed to San Francisco’s “socialist dogma” as a prime example, where an ethos of “helping everyone” has, in her view, led to helping no one.
“Just like on a plane in an emergency,” she remarked, “you need to put the oxygen mask on yourself first. Americans first before helping anyone else. And Democrats just don’t understand us.”
Huynh highlighted key indicators of California’s political shift, including the passage of Proposition 36, which repealed Proposition 47—legislation that had softened penalties for drug and theft crimes. She also noted the ousting of progressive San Francisco Mayor London Breed in favor of Daniel Lurie, a Levi Strauss heir who campaigned on a tough-on-crime platform.
“People just wanted change with Daniel Lurie,” she explained. “He has the name, and he was seen walking the streets, talking to people. That’s a good sign.” Huynh argued that Breed’s defeat, alongside voter backlash against other progressive leaders like Oakland’s Pamela Price and Sheng Thao, demonstrates a growing discontent with policies perceived as prioritizing ideology over public safety and quality of life.
Huynh described San Francisco as a cautionary tale of unchecked progressive governance, calling it “the science experiment that’s gone awry.” She painted a grim picture of a city overrun by homelessness, addiction, and crime. “I wake up in the morning, there’s no grocery stores to go to, there’s no malls to take my teenage girls shopping to. The streets are not safe; there are more fentanyl users and dealers than high school students in our once great city,” she lamented.
Huynh’s disenchantment with Democratic policies led her to switch her allegiance to President-elect Donald Trump, citing high crime, rampant homelessness, and skyrocketing taxes as primary motivators. Earlier this year, she traveled to Mar-a-Lago to support Trump’s campaign, signaling her full embrace of a political philosophy that prioritizes public safety, fiscal responsibility, and citizen-first policies.
“Most of California outside the major cities actually votes red,” she said, noting how Trump’s message resonated with voters frustrated by the state’s declining living conditions. “At the end of the day, we have to vote for our families.”
