Despite recently facing a recall election and despite his state suffering from an alarming crime wave, California governor Gavin Newsom was cheered and celebrated while appearing on Wednesday's The View. To make matters worse, the ABC hosts begged him to run for president, and even thanked him for bashing Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis (to deflect criticism away from his own leadership failures).
The interview was relatively short and Newsom was tossed softballs about his coronavirus policies to start off. The hosts eagerly agreed with his boasting that California was leading the way with vaccinations and booster shots and “following the science” on tackling the Omicron variant. While touting the California way, Newsom went out of his way to criticize Florida:
"Not to belabor this, but one thing we do know, and it’s just interesting, there's so much attention being given to Florida as of late. And I don’t mean this as a cheap shot but it's interesting. Since the beginning of this pandemic, 53% more deaths per capita in the state of Florida," he touted, as Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin eagerly agreed.
"Thank you for saying that," Hostin said.
Newsom took notes from the Biden administration, and claimed the media didn't give him enough credit and didn't bash Florida enough.
"I just think it’s an important point because it’s not brought up on a lot of networks in this country. In surround sound," he boasted as Hostin and Behar agreed.
Newsom continued to brag about how blue states like his had "followed the science" and claimed that his state had done better "economically than Florida, Texas and Indiana and as the U.S. as a whole."
The hosts didn't question Newsom's spin on the economy. Small businesses owners that were forced to shut down or flee the state probably wouldn't agree with the governor's assessment that they would do better in California than in Florida.
Still, Hostin thanked the Democrat for bashing red states to again elevate his own (before asking Newsom if he would follow strict vaccine mandates like de Blasio): "Thank you for saying that. Well we say that a lot on this show especially because of the governor of Florida doesn't seem to be following the science. Well, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is following the science."
After all that boasting, Joy Behar then reluctantly read off a question about the rampant mass robberies happening in California, noting that law enforcement blamed California’s leaders’ lax policies punishing theft:
Because California is seeing a wave of smash-and-grab robberies, um where mobs ransack retail stores, your own business has been robbed multiple times in the past year, you have a couple of wine stores I understand, critics and law enforcement blame this on your lax bail and theft policies, emboldening criminals.
“Okay here’s your chance to tell us,” she prodded Newsom to attack his critics, which he willingly did.
“Well, they couldn’t even identify to what they were referring to as it relates to those policies so that’s a lot of rhetoric,” Newsom claimed before saying that its important that people “feel” safe even if criticism against him didn’t match up to the “facts.” Newsom defended himself by claiming crime decreased since the 2014 Prop 47 passed, only to increase with the pandemic.
While stating they were prosecuting crime, Newsom argued it wasn’t a California problem: "But it's not unique to California. We see it in Chicago, Minnesota....[V]iolent crime and property crime for example is higher in Texas than it is in California, I don't see that on Fox News,” he griped.
While red states were mentioned several times in this interview, no one asked Newsom to comment on former fellow Democrat governor, disgraced Andrew Cuomo, or to answer any questions about why he faced a recall just a few short months ago.
Instead, Whoopi hailed Newsom for remaining in office.
“I just want to say it must really piss people off that you actually maintained your job!” she said smugly, as the hosts and audience cheered.
At the end of the interview, the hosts again flattered the Democrat, suggesting he run for President of the United States. He almost lost his job governing California and they want him to run for President? Here was that part:
BEHAR: Are you going to run for president before we go? Are you going to run for president?
HOSTIN: You should.
NEWSOM: I'm running for my life right now. [laughter] Just got through a recall!
BEHAR: Take some time to think about it.
WHOOPI: Come back and let us know.
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Read the transcript below:
ABC's The View
12/08/21GAVIN NEWSOM: Not to belabor this, but one thing we do know, and it’s just interesting, there's so much attention being given to Florida as of late. And I don’t mean this as a cheap shot but it's interesting. Since the beginning of this pandemic, 53% more deaths per capita in the state of Florida. 53% more–
SUNNY HOSTIN: Wow.
NEWSOM: in the state of Florida compared to California.
SUNNY HOSTIN: In Florida. Thank you for saying that.
JOY BEHAR: Yeah.
NEWSOM: I just think it’s an important point because it’s not brought up on a lot of networks in this country,
HOSTIN: No.
NEWSOM: In surround sound.
BEHAR: Yeah.
NEWSOM: The misinformation that's being perpetuated by folks that somehow freedom, I just think that's important. Those states that have followed the science, encouraged boosters and vaccinations have outperformed not only from a health perspective but economically. The state of California did better economically—
[AGREEMENT]
NEWSOM: Than Florida, in Texas and Indiana and as the U.S. as a whole. And I say that to you not to impress, but to impress upon you, they go hand in hand and we have to move beyond that.
[applause]
HOSTIN: Thank you for saying that. Well we say that a lot on this show especially because of the governor of Florida doesn't seem to be following the science. Well, New York City mayor Bill de Blasio is following the science and he just announced a sweeping new vaccine mandates for all private businesses and for all kids over 5 eating indoors as what he calls, a preemptive strike on Omicron. Would you consider something like this? Can you rule out imposing more mandates?
NEWSOM: Look, at this point, with a 2.5% positivity rate, and we’re working our way through this, we don't see that in the immediate term. That said, California hasn't been shy, we have been first stay at home order, first mandate for healthcare workers, for schools, we’ve been first in every category…..
(....)
BEHAR: Okay I want to change the subject now. Because California is seeing a wave of smash-and-grab robberies, um where mobs ransack retail stores, your own business has been robbed multiple times in the past year, you have a couple of wine stores I understand, critics and law enforcement blame this on your lax bail and theft policies, emboldening criminals. Okay here’s your chance to tell us—
[security video tape of thefts]
NEWSOM: Well, they couldn’t even identify to what they were referring to as it relates to those policies so that’s a lot of rhetoric. That said, its unacceptable what’s happening. Those images are unacceptable. I can give you facts, and I’m happy to share them but there are feelings as well. The feelings matter more. Do I feel safe? Do I feel protected? When you see these flash mobs that --
BEHAR: They're organized, aren't they?
NEWSOM: Very organized. I just want to know, We're not only taking it seriously, we’re calling it out. There's no excuse. There’s no condoning that behavior. We want to arrest and prosecute folks and we're doing that. We just announced a six-year sentence for an organized ring just last week, there have been prosecutions and arrests in L.A., in San Francisco and we recognize that we have to do more and better. But i's not unique to California. We see it in Chicago, Minnesota. This is not unique, property crime has gone up in many, many states, red states not just blue states, violent crime and property crime for example is higher in Texas than it is in California, I don't see that on Fox News.
HOSTIN: Why do you think that is?
BEHAR: You won’t see that there.
NEWSOM: In 39 states, and this is interesting and important, 39 states did what California did since 2000 and that's raised this felony threshold which is what they're pointing to as the cause even though we did it in 2014 and crime decreased in '15, in '16, in '17, in'18 and '19. So there's a convenience, there’s a politics that’s being played here, but the facts suggest that this is something else and different.
[cross-talk]
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Hold on. I just want to say it must really piss people off that you actually maintained your job. [ Cheers and applause ]
(....)
BEHAR: Are you going to run for president before we go? Are you going to run for president?
HOSTIN: You should.
NEWSOM: I'm running for my life right now. [laughter] Just got through a recall!
BEHAR: Take some time to think about it.
WHOOPI: Come back and let us know
