California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom admitted this weekend that his administration made mistakes by enacting some of the most restrictive COVID lockdowns in the nation.
In a conversation with NBC News anchor Chuck Todd that aired on Sunday, the official was asked whether his orders had carveouts for his allies and restrictions for those with whom he disagrees. "You found a way to allow the motion picture industry and the movie industry to get back to work, but you didn't allow people to grieve together at funerals or at churches,” Todd pressed. “You were tougher on those that just wanted to go worship.”
Newsom responded that his administration “didn’t know what we didn’t know” and contended that he was not the only senior official who made mistakes. “It was hardly ‘I,’ it was ‘we’ collectively,” Newsom said. “I think all of us, in terms of our collective wisdom, we've evolved. We didn’t know what we didn’t know. We’re experts in hindsight. We’re all geniuses now.”
Todd again pressed Newsom, floating the idea that he “prioritized an industry, one specific one, but then didn’t prioritize ones whose maybe values you didn't connect with.” Newsom also said during the interview that “we would’ve done everything differently” since their understanding of the nature of the spread developed over time.
California instituted some of the most restrictive lockdowns in the United States, inducing some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, according to a study published two years ago by the University of New Hampshire. California was also one of several states to report significant declines in educational attainment as a result of school closures.
Newsom reversed the COVID state of emergency at the end of year, claiming that public health and vaccination efforts “dramatically reduced” hospitalizations and deaths.
“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve been guided by the science and data, moving quickly and strategically to save lives. The state of emergency was an effective and necessary tool that we utilized to protect our state, and we wouldn’t have gotten to this point without it,” he commented. “With the operational preparedness that we’ve built up and the measures that we’ll continue to employ moving forward, California is ready to phase out this tool.”
Many have speculated that Newsom will mount a run for the Oval Office next year as President Joe Biden appears to face declining cognitive abilities. Newsom reaffirmed his support for the current commander-in-chief during the NBC News interview and hinted that Vice President Kamala Harris would receive the next chance to represent the Democratic Party in the general election.
