After a nearly two-week hiatus from the public eye, Gov. Gavin Newsom reappeared Tuesday in his official capacity. In a fireside chat at the 2021 California Economic Summit in Monterey, the governor shared where he’s been and who insisted he spend more time at home.
Two days after his booster shot, Newsom announced on Oct. 29 that he had canceled his trip to the U.N. Climate Conference in Scotland, at which he had been set to speak.
Newsom said as he and wife Jennifer Siebel prepared to leave for the U.N. Climate Conference in Scotland ahead of Halloween weekend, their children gave them pause, sharing how they felt about their parents’ busy schedules.
“The kids literally kind of had an intervention and said they couldn’t believe I was going to miss Halloween,” Newsom said. “Mom and dad missing Halloween for them is worse than missing Christmas.”
“I woke up the next morning with a knot in my stomach and [knew] that I had no damn choice. I had to cancel that trip [to the summit],” the governor said, thanking the audience as they applauded.
Newsom had last been spotted working while getting his booster shot on Oct. 27.
Two days later, he and his wife canceled their trip to the climate conference. Newsom had been billed as a speaker. At the time, a spokesperson only cited “family obligations.”
The father of four said he spent that weekend instead with his children, dressing up as pirates and attending Sacramento’s Boo Fest soccer tournament. He said was also able to take the kids to work and share with them what’s been keeping him from home so frequently.
It didn’t take long for Californians to notice Gov. Newsom’s absence. As the public demanded answers, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom tweeted a message to her husband’s critics telling them to "stop hating and get a life." She has since deleted the post.
In his fireside chat with Lenny Mendonca, Newsom acknowledged that the reminder from his children to slow down followed the stresses that many parents feel when juggling home and work. He recalled how his workload had piled on because of the coronavirus pandemic, wildfires, and a recall election.
The governor said his most significant source of anxiety could be just weeks away — a potential winter surge of COVID-19 that could be just weeks away.
Newsom had only been seen once after getting his booster shot prior to Tuesday. He attended heiress Ivy Getty’s wedding in San Francisco Saturday. A spokesman said he has continued to work during his absence from public view.
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