Gavin Newsom blasted for 'tone deaf' Memorial Day tweet: Thought this was 'parody'
The California governor's first tweet on Memorial Day was a political cartoon
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., raised some eyebrows on Monday with what many on social media considered to be a "tone-deaf" tweet for Memorial Day.
After hours without commenting on the holiday honoring fallen service members, Newsom surprised social media users by tweeting a cartoon without a caption making a point on gun control and book bans. The image depicted a child trying to reach a book on a high shelf with several guns hanging lower on the wall.
The timing of this image, along with the obvious political implications, drew intense backlash from Twitter users attacking the governor for ignoring the holiday to make a partisan point.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted an anti-gun cartoon to his Twitter account on Memorial Day. (Dai Sugano/MediaNews Group/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
"A weird thing to post on Memorial Day. I wonder if Gavin Newsom asks his armed law enforcement, which he uses for security, where they store their guns and place their bookshelves," Seattle radio host Jason Rantz remarked.
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Conservative writer Chad Felix Greene wrote, "I don't think you quite get what you want to share here, Gavin."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I couldn’t believe how many people were tricked by an obvious AOC parody account, but then I thought this was from a Gavin Newsom parody account," The Daily Wire’s Frank Fleming joked.
Five Times August frontman Brad Skistimas tweeted, "What the illustration isn’t showing you is that those books are filled with porn and propaganda designed to confuse young minds. Gavin Newsom wants your kids reading this."
"California has the most mass shootings in the United States. California has the strictest gun laws in the United States. Can Gavin Newsom please explain this?" conservative influencer Paul Szypula commented.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is almost but not quite as tone deaf and dumb as Trump's statement today," National Review contributor Pradheep Shanker tweeted.
Members of the Military placing flags on tombstones on Memorial Day, on May 25, 2023 in Arlington, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Newsom later retweeted a statement from the Office of the Governor of California account honoring Memorial Day.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"On Memorial Day, we remember and honor the courageous men and women who laid down their lives to protect our cherished freedoms and way of life. In memory of those we have lost, flags will be flown at half-staff on all state buildings and grounds," the tweet read.
The tweet linked to Memorial Day proclamation from the governor that began, "On Memorial Day, we remember and honor the courageous men and women who laid down their lives to protect our cherished freedoms and way of life. Upholding a solemn tradition that dates back to Decoration Day in 1868, communities across the country will gather to pay tribute to the selfless heroes—our friends, family, and ancestors—who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. In 1971, Congress established Memorial Day as a national day of remembrance of all Americans who have perished in our nation’s wars."
Newsom's office later released a statement commemorating Memorial Day. (Reuters)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It continued, "On Memorial Day, we hold these brave souls in our hearts and pay our respects to the families who mourn their loss. We also honor them with our commitment to respecting and caring for the veterans who are still here with us, their brothers and sisters in arms."