California Governor
Gavin Newsom is back: he has a simple explanation for his strange descent
There he is again: Gavin Newsom stepped back into the limelight at a conference in Monterey.
© Nic Coury / Picture Alliance
Gavin Newsom, California’s head of government, went into hiding for twelve days. Now he has appeared in public again – and explained what he was up to during his time off.
There he is again. California Governor Gavin Newsom was gone from the public for twelve days. Unusual for the busy head of government. Above all, his short-term cancellation of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow had caused irritation, as did a tweet from his wife that was quickly deleted. But now: It’s all yesterday’s news, the 53-year-old appeared at a conference in the coastal town of Monterey and lost a few words about his absence.
“Time for family and to recharge”
He only needed a break for “his family and to charge the battery,” said Newsom. The past three years in office with the unprecedented pandemic, the destruction caused by the record forest fires, the drought and his own fight for the post of governor were simply too grueling, the Democrat said. Only two months ago he had survived a vote of no confidence. Only once, in 2003, has a head of government faced such a special vote in the history of the state.
When the climate date in Glasgow coincided with Halloween, Newsom had decided to spend the festival with his children to play “Trick or Treat” – that is, going from neighbor to neighbor in disguise to ask for sweets.
Newsom’s employees had declared the cancellation of participation at the climate summit with reference to “family obligations” and otherwise emphasized that the governor would work normally and would soon appear again. Because his unusual absence began exactly one day after his corona booster vaccination, conservative media and politicians had speculated about health problems.
A guest at a billionaire wedding
Newsom’s wife Siebel had in his absence posted on twitter: “It’s funny how some deal with the truth. If someone cancels something, they just work in the office, maybe in their free time with their family, at the children’s sporting events or at dinner with their wife. Stop hating and live your own life. ” For reasons unknown up to now, however, the post was quickly deleted. Over the weekend, “Vogue” published pictures of the couple at the wedding of billionaire granddaughter Ivy Love Getty.
sources: Fox LA.com; SFGate.com, “The Sun“, CNN