Gavin Newsom made his first official speech Monday as California governor, a coveted post previously held by prominent politicians such as Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The ceremony should have been all about Newsom, but his 2-year-old son, Dutch, stole the show with a sleepy stage invasion.
The toddler made his way to the stage as his father spoke about the importance of children. The governor then picked up his son and kissed him on the cheek before returning to his speech.
Related: Attack ad questions if Gavin Newsom supports San Francisco "crack" users or children
Newsom went on to blast President Donald Trump's border wall plan as his son bobbed his head. Newsom put his sleepy son down, and across the stage his wife, filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom, gently tried to persuade the child to leave. But he quickly changed his mind and rushed back to the podium, much to the delight of the audience.
"This is exactly how it was scripted," Newsom quipped.
Family members tried again to coax the boy off the stage, but he resisted their efforts. Eventually, his mother hoisted him and took him away.
"I'm glad this is the rehearsal," the governor joked. "We'll get to this tomorrow."
Son of late judge and Getty family trust administrator William Newsom, Gavin Newsom was sworn in as the 40th governor of California on Monday. He previously served as lieutenant governor of California and mayor of San Francisco.
A progressive, the Democratic politician is known for his support of same-sex marriage, cannabis legalization and gun control.
Back in September, Trump criticized Newsom for his stance on health care and immigration. "Democrats want to give welfare and free health care to illegal aliens," Trump had said during a Las Vegas rally. "How about this clown in California who's running for governor? He wants open borders, and then he wants to give them health care, education, everything."
"Lol, hi @realDonaldTrump," Newsom responded on Twitter, including a clown emoji and a clip of the president's comments. "Interesting description coming from the guy who is literally locking up kids like Pennywise," he added, referencing the murderous clown from Stephen King's horror novel It.
The president has complained about Newsom in public speeches before—behavior the now-governor has previously called out on Twitter. "Next time you call me and my policies out, have the guts to @ me and we can have a chat," Newsom wrote earlier that month.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Katherine Hignett is a reporter based in London. She currently covers current affairs, health and science. Prior to joining Newsweek ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
