California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been a political fixture in the Golden State since the late 1990s, first serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 1997 to 2004 before serving as mayor of San Francisco from 2004 to 2011. After that, he was elected as California’s Lieutenant Governor, a position he held for eight years until he was sworn in as the state’s Governor in January 2019.
He’s term-limited out now, with the next gubernatorial election to be held in 2026. Though there are murmurings about whether former Vice President Kamala Harris will jump into the growing field of contenders, Newsom’s focus is not on speculation about the candidates nor endorsements. Instead, he is rumored to have his eye on the ultimate prize for an entrenched, ambitious politico: the presidency of the United States.
“This was not really a speech about California, which, based on his record, he seems to care little about—this was his first real salvo in the ’28 presidential elections,” my colleague Bob Hoge wrote in response to the disastrous, lie-filled speech Newsom gave amid the LA riots. “He knows he’s watching his chances go up in smoke like an electric vehicle in downtown Los Angeles, and this was his desperate attempt to right the ship.”
SEE ALSO: JD Vance Finishes Gavin Newsom After Governor Needles Him on LA Riots Response in Possible 2028 Preview
Seeming to “care little about” the state he’s spent decades helping his fellow Democrats run into the ground is a close to perfect way to describe Newsom, who, as RedState readers will recall, engaged in rampant Democrat privilege during the COVID pandemic, essentially locking his state down and having beachgoers arrested while he enjoyed intimate gatherings at cozy, trendy spots like the French Laundry restaurant.
Not surprisingly, Newsom’s priorities are once again being questioned after it was reported that in the early days of the Los Angeles anti-ICE riots, Newsom was attending posh wine tastings:
The wine-tasting was held on the afternoon of June 7, 2025, at the Odette Estate Winery, which Newsom co-founded in 2011. Dubbed “Vineyard Vibes,” the event was a fundraiser for the PlumpJack Foundation, founded by Newsom’s sister, and featured “contemporary yet sophisticated” wines, live jazz music, and locally made pizza and smash burgers. “It’s the perfect kick-off to summer fun,” read promotional language. “The fete will take place on the Winery Crushpad, where we’ll gather for music, food, conversation, and delicious wine!”
A source who photographed Newsom at the event expressed shock that the governor was in attendance, given that riots had broken out in Los Angeles the day before. “I couldn’t believe it,” the source said. “He was just walking around like this was an everyday occurrence.” Newsom was at the wine party for at least 90 minutes, according to the source, who said that when the governor finally left, he appeared to retreat to the inner rooms of his winery.
The City Journal story noted that someone from Newsom’s office said the event was a cancer fundraiser, which he “proudly attended… in honor of his mother, who died of breast cancer.”
EXCLUSIVE: California Governor @GavinNewsom attended a luxury wine tasting in Napa while rioters had already begun barricading streets, lighting cars on fire, and attacking law enforcement in Los Angeles.
Newsom was sipping Cabernet while California burned. pic.twitter.com/zogQsjDHQi
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) June 19, 2025
Understandably, folks had some thoughts:
You can fundraise for something without attending the event if the biggest city in your state is experiencing rioting. Absolutely wild stuff that he’d not stop everything to do his job.
— Brittany (@bccover) June 19, 2025
With the revelation that Gavin Newsom was sipping Cabernet as Los Angeles burned, it might be a good time to revisit the curious case of Gavin’s sobriety. https://t.co/TC2FxqlGnU pic.twitter.com/p4vWbIIYvn
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) June 19, 2025
Here’s hoping that in 2028, voters will be politically sober enough to see through Newsom’s BS, which I’m sure Vice President Vance undoubtedly will be happy to remind people of as well.
Update: Following publication of this article, Governor Newsom’s office provided the following statement:
Let’s get the facts straight: this was a cancer research fundraiser — not a “wine party.” While Donald Trump was golfing in Bedminster the same day, attending a UFC fight, and his White House senior team was literally posting about shopping for popcorn, the Governor proudly attended an annual fundraiser benefiting the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, in honor of his mother, who died of breast cancer at age 55.
Trying to spin a family fundraiser for cancer research into a political hit — while excusing a President who was literally golfing after gutting cancer research — isn’t just bad-faith hypocrisy from your outlet. It’s insulting to cancer survivors and their families.
And despite your claims, there were no widespread “riots breaking out” in Los Angeles at the time of the daytime cancer fundraiser on Saturday. The unrest was heightened later in the week when Trump and J.D. Vance were enjoying a fancy Broadway show and Defense Secretary Pete was caught at a baseball game.
Managing Editor Jennifer Van Laar added some additional context:
Nice try going around me to get your “URGENT” propaganda-filled “statement” as RedState piece, @BrandonRichards.
$150 a person is hardly in the average Californian’s reach, and yes, things were already getting out of control in LA when this started.
Guess what? When… pic.twitter.com/bZaEhFyt3H
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) June 20, 2025
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