Gavin Newsom is a polished political operator, having held public office for decades. He was elected Mayor of San Francisco in 2003 at the tender political age of 36, and then became Governor of California in 2019.
But 2023 is not the moment for polished politics as rancorous politics keep winning the news cycle — and nowhere is the rancor more a part of the formula than on Twitter.
Below are a series of recent tweets from Newsom that reveal his real priorities, as he sees them — often revealing them in real time in reaction to an event or political sortie from the far right. There is little polish on Twitter. It’s the tweet with the nastiest bite that engages the most, and the algorithm rewards the rancor by surfacing posts with heavy engagement.
Newsom, who appears today in a wide-ranging interview with MSNBC’s Jen Psaki, isn’t the same person on TV as he is on Twitter — nobody is.
.@GavinNewsom just went on a tour of states where he says “freedom is most under attack.” @jrpsaki sat down with him in Alabama for a wide-ranging conversation that will air Sunday at 12pm ET. pic.twitter.com/lbkmnjkM5C
— Inside with Jen Psaki (@InsideWithPsaki) April 6, 2023
The California governor has recently signaled national ambitions, announcing a tour to help protect underrepresented Americans from what he characterizes as extremist, activist conservative minorities in statehouses, exerting disproportionate influence on legislation and the lives and futures of citizens.
[Gavin Newsom Targets ‘Un-American’ Red States, Promises on 2024 Election]
The interview with Psaki should be largely sympathetic to Newsom’s positions, though he will be made to answer for some of California’s ills — growing homelessness among them. But to know Newsom’s visceral stances, Twitter is where the true record is. Here is a collection of Newsom’s tweets and retweets.
Here are the facts about @GOP led states they DON’T want you to know:
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 7, 2023
– 8 of the top 10 murder states are red
– 7 of the top 10 dependent states on the feds are red
They have:
– lower life expectancy
– higher infant mortality
– higher maternal mortality pic.twitter.com/NPyAbLKWDf
Here are the facts about @GOP led states they DON’T want you to know:
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 7, 2023
– 8 of the top 10 murder states are red
– 7 of the top 10 dependent states on the feds are red
They have:
– lower life expectancy
– higher infant mortality
– higher maternal mortality pic.twitter.com/NPyAbLKWDf
Our. Kids. Are. Dying. https://t.co/fKe8zbtNha
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 8, 2023
Today’s ruling to pull back the 20-year FDA approval of Mifepristone by Federal Judge Kacsmaryk threatens access to abortion care across the country.
— Office of the Governor of California (@CAgovernor) April 7, 2023
Abortion is still legal and accessible here in California and we won’t stand by as fundamental freedoms are stripped away. pic.twitter.com/ZdAsQLYhhX
There are those that give a damn.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 7, 2023
And then there are those that kick out democratically elected officials for standing up against gun violence. https://t.co/c0iAkxM4Iu
Here are the facts about @GOP led states they DON’T want you to know:
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 7, 2023
– 8 of the top 10 murder states are red
– 7 of the top 10 dependent states on the feds are red
They have:
– lower life expectancy
– higher infant mortality
– higher maternal mortality pic.twitter.com/NPyAbLKWDf
Here are the facts about @GOP led states they DON’T want you to know:
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 7, 2023
– 8 of the top 10 murder states are red
– 7 of the top 10 dependent states on the feds are red
They have:
– lower life expectancy
– higher infant mortality
– higher maternal mortality pic.twitter.com/NPyAbLKWDf
Here are the facts about @GOP led states they DON’T want you to know:
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) April 7, 2023
– 8 of the top 10 murder states are red
– 7 of the top 10 dependent states on the feds are red
They have:
– lower life expectancy
– higher infant mortality
– higher maternal mortality pic.twitter.com/NPyAbLKWDf
