Gov. Gavin Newsom’s breezy work calendars have ignited contemporary criticism as he remained out of state Monday whereas barnstorming for Michigan Democrats — and maybe himself.
Earlier within the day, the California Submit revealed the governor’s secretive calendars listed “no official enterprise” for almost 4 weeks within the first a number of months of the yr. The surprisingly mild work schedule, which frequently began after 9am and wrapped earlier than 5 pm, has solid a blistering highlight on Newsom’s quite a few out-of-state journeys.
The governor’s political staff altruistically framed the newest journey to Michigan as a part of Newsom’s effort to assist Democrats retake energy in Washington and cease President Trump.
However critics have known as his jetsetting extreme and steered Newsom’s actions look much less like a governor at work and extra like an early 2028 presidential marketing campaign.
Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for California governor within the November runoff, known as Newsom’s mild schedule and frequent journeys “an enormous insult to each Californian.”
“For years now, we now have a checked out governor whose solely curiosity is his personal presidential ambitions,” Hilton stated.
“No marvel our economic system is collapsing into an entire catastrophe, companies are leaving, individuals are leaving, the very best unemployment and poverty price within the nation — homelessness going from disastrous to even worse.”
Hilton added that California has the very best taxes within the nation however continues to get the “worst outcomes.”
“As a substitute of making an attempt to repair these issues, this man is working round sucking as much as the far left in a determined bid to revive his flagging marketing campaign for president.”
The Michigan journey even drew a jab from Democratic political guide Steve Maviglio, who dunked on a member of Newsom’s political staff after they crowed over receiving 1 million social media views from “creators & digital-first impartial media.”
“Now provided that @CAGovernor cared as a lot about addressing homelessness, the housing disaster, price range deficits as they do about clicks…” Maviglio wrote on X.
The criticism comes on the heels of a California Submit investigation revealing Newsom’s official calendars listed zero authorities enterprise on 18 non-holiday weekdays in the course of the first 4 months of 2026. The calendars additionally confirmed Newsom jetsetting throughout the globe to hobnob with world leaders whereas additionally courting self-importance items for him and his spouse from nationwide media shops.
Over the weekend, Newsom traveled to Michigan — a important battleground state — for a multiday marketing campaign swing, assembly with Democratic leaders, activists and Black religion leaders, and stumping for candidates hoping to flip seats within the Michigan Home.
On Monday, Newsom was set to satisfy with Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive firebrand who received a slender Democratic main for one of many state’s US Senate seats.
Lance Christensen, vice chairman of the California Coverage Middle, was one in every of many to take a swipe on the journey on social media.
“Governor Newsom’s taxpayer-paid workers is now selling his marketing campaign actions for President in Michigan,” Christensen wrote.
“I didn’t know he was the governor of Michigan.”
Newsom’s workplace has argued the calendars solely replicate conferences scheduled upfront and aren’t an entire report of the governor’s actions.
Nonetheless, Newsom has discovered loads of time for journey, together with journeys this yr to Davos, Munich and London, together with quite a few stops across the nation selling his memoir.
Nick Poche, a spokesperson for the Republican Nationwide Committee, scoffed at Newsom’s self-portrayal in Michigan, the place he has given speeches and interviews casting himself as an underdog, anti-establishment Democrat.
“Newsom is a pay-to-play company globalist hack who’s been like a slow-motion automobile crash as governor,” Poche advised The Submit.
“Each time a Democrat is silly sufficient to ask Newsom’s far-left report of failure into their race, it solely reinforces how out of contact he’s with voters.”
Newsom, who phrases out of workplace in January, has not formally introduced a 2028 presidential marketing campaign. Officers for the governor didn’t reply to a request for touch upon Newsom’s newest adventures.
