Newsom Faces Backlash Over Dinner Party After Enforcing COVID-19 Restrictions

As coronavirus cases are growing extremely fast and hospitals exceed their capacity, Gov. Gavin Newsom has been urging people to follow virus restrictions in California. However, the SF Chronicle’s Alexei Koseff reported that despite the pandemic rules, Newsom celebrated California Democrat fixer Jason Kinney’s birthday at a French restaurant in the company of his partner and 10 other people.

Gavin Newsom and Jason Kinney stated that they didn’t break any restrictions and pointed out the dinner was outdoor and distant and the restaurant followed the state rules. Nonetheless, the governor added that he “should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner.” 

Newsom now faces backlash from Republicans who have called out his hypocrisy. Some critics note that the governor’s children are going back to in-person instruction at a private school while public schools in the state remain closed. 

Some angry residents of California couldn’t understand why they were urged to stay home and cancel their plans while their governor and his friends were dining out at a restaurant. 

Meanwhile, following the tweet of NBC’s Leigh Ann Caldwell, Congress has also been accused of hosting new member dinners contrary to current COVID messaging. Caldwell posted an image of a dining room adding the reassurance of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi the place is “very spaced.”