Rep. Cammack on Newsom attack ad: Never punch down, only punch up
Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., responds to Governor Gavin Newsom's attack ad in Florida.
An aide for California Gov. Gavin Newsom, D., publicly criticized an employee of the nonprofit CalMatters after the newsletter writer revealed he was vacationing in Montana despite California’s ban of state-funded travel there.
"SCOOP: @GavinNewsom is on vacation in Montana. His office had been loath to disclose the location until now. Montana is one of 22 states to which CA bans state-funded travel due to anti-LGBTQ+ policies. It's also likely to institute an abortion ban. More in tmrw's newsletter," Emily Hoeven wrote.
Soon after, Anthony York, a senior communications advisor to Newsom and former journalist, accused Hoeven of "gotcha journalism" and asserted his trip was not being funded by the state.
"SCOOP! The travel ban applies to using state funds. The Governor’s travel is not being paid by the state. Connecting the two is an attempt at gotcha journalism that is neither gotcha nor journalism. The governor is on a vacation with his family. He will return later this week," he replied.
CALIFORNIA WON'T BE COVERING TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR NON-RESIDENTS SEEKING ABORTIONS IN THE STATE
Gov. Gavin Newsom makes an appearance at state Democratic Party headquarters in Sacramento, California, after the polls close on the recall election, Sept. 14, 2021. (Reuters/Fred Greaves)
The following morning Hoeven released the newsletter, where she suggested that Newsom’s team’s reluctance to share the governor’s vacation itinerary, a contrast from previous recent out-of-state trips, meant Newsom was "aware of the politically perilous optics."
In further conversation with Hoeven, York reiterated his statement that Newsom's travel is not being paid for by the state, and noted that the team does not legislate where people can vacation. But York would not comment on whether the state was paying for Newsom’s security while he is away.
Fox News Digital reached out to Hoeven about her piece and her correspondence with York, but she declined to comment. Newsom’s team did not respond to Fox’s request for comment.
The high-profile governor has recently taken a hardline, outspoken stance against red states for legislation that Newsom claims discriminate against members of the LGBTQ+ community and restrict women’s access to abortions. His public comments knocking Republican-led states, especially Florida, over crime, COVID-19 policies, free speech and voting rights, were recently praised in pieces published by The Washington Post and The Atlantic.
Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference in Oakland, California. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
On July 5, the Post released an opinion piece entitled, "Gavin Newsom’s TV ad slamming DeSantis fills a void among Democrats," where writers Paul Waldman and Greg Sargent argued the GOP is determined to "put more guns on the streets."
The piece argues that Newsom’s ad claiming Republicans are coming to "take your freedom" successfully proves that a "generational turn" among Democrats is needed to communicate the "pileup of perils" conservatives have stacked up.
The Atlantic's Ron Brownstein similarly chimed in, asserting that the left "desperately needs" someone like Newsom to stand up against "Republicans’ rights rollback" and heralded him as the "new spokesman" in the "culture wars."
GAVIN NEWSOM JOINS TRUTH SOCIAL TO CALL OUT 'REPUBLICAN LIES,' PERCEIVED 'RED STATE MURDER PROBLEM'
Gov. Gavin Newsom holds up a lottery ball at the California Lottery Headquarters on June 4, 2021, in Sacramento while drawing numbers for the state's vaccine incentive program. (Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee via AP, File)
But Newsom’s latest stint in Montana could bring unwelcome comparisons to an infamous moment from the pandemic.
Speaking with Fox News Digital, one California political operative slammed Newsom over his travel to Montana and referenced a past scandal of Newsom’s in which he was caught at a swanky Napa Valley restaurant while businesses were shuttered during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. The story quickly went viral, with many criticizing the governor as a politician who didn't follow his own restrictions.
"For Gavin Newsom, it’s always rules for thee and not for me. First it was the French Laundry scandal, now he’s off vacationing in the same place he put state travel restrictions on. Principles mean nothing to him, he’s an elitist who couldn't care less about the people of California," the operative said.
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