California governor hopeful Larry Elder targeted by foul-mouthed egg-hurling woman in gorilla mask

California governor hopeful Larry Elder had an egg thrown at him by a woman in a gorilla mask as he toured a homeless encampment on Venice Beach. 

The unidentified woman – whose choice of headwear has been branded racist by some conservative commentators online – was also filmed punching a man who told her to calm down.  

Wednesday’s incident, which was captured on video by Spectrum News reporter Kate Cagle and posted to Twitter, shows the leading GOP candidate in the gubernatorial recall race as he arrives in his new ‘Recall Express’ campaign bus after casting his ballot earlier in the morning.

The conservative talk show host-turned-politician made it only 12 minutes at the encampment on 3rd Avenue before being chased by angry homeless people and the woman in the gorilla mask, who was traveling on a smart black bike. 

‘Get the hell out of here!’ the group yelled as an unidentified, gorilla mask-wearing woman throws the egg in Elder’s direction from a bicycle.  

‘It kind of glanced his head,’ an Elder campaign staffer told the Los Angeles Times of the egg.

Elder quickly got into a waiting Chevrolet Suburban and exited the tense scene.

He later tweeted about the incident, writing: ‘Today I kicked off the Recall Express bus tour. Before we even left Los Angeles, my security detail was physically assaulted, shot with a pellet gun, and hit with projectiles. The intolerant left will not stop us. We will recall Gavin Newsom. We will save California.’ 

Elder (pictured) made it only 12 minutes at the encampment on 3rd Avenue before at least one person hurled an egg at him, causing him to get in a nearby Suburban and exit the scene

Elder (pictured) made it only 12 minutes at the encampment on 3rd Avenue before at least one person hurled an egg at him, causing him to get in a nearby Suburban and exit the scene

A woman wearing a gorilla mask follows conservative talk show host and gubernatorial recall candidate Larry Elder as he walks along streets lined with tents of unhoused people, in Venice

A woman wearing a gorilla mask follows conservative talk show host and gubernatorial recall candidate Larry Elder as he walks along streets lined with tents of unhoused people, in Venice

Conservative talk show host and gubernatorial recall candidate Larry Elder, flanked by supporters, security and media, walks along streets lined with tents of homeless people

Conservative talk show host and gubernatorial recall candidate Larry Elder, flanked by supporters, security and media, walks along streets lined with tents of homeless people

The same woman can then be seen angrily confronting an Elder campaign staffer, who she punches in the face while yelling obscenities, before another woman attempts to hit him as Elder and his staff make their way to the SUV. 

Elder was joined by community activists and members of the Venice Neighborhood Council Public Health & Safety Committee Soledad Ursua and Chie Lunn, as they escorted Elder along Sunset Avenue. 

'The intolerant left will not stop us. We will recall Gavin Newsom. We will save California' Elder tweeted after the attack

‘The intolerant left will not stop us. We will recall Gavin Newsom. We will save California’ Elder tweeted after the attack

Elder tweeted a link (pictured) to a news article calling his attacker an 'angry white liberal'

Elder tweeted a link (pictured) to a news article calling his attacker an ‘angry white liberal’

‘He has no business down here,’ said encampment resident Sarah Duke, a homeless woman who is nearly four months pregnant.

‘If you ain’t going to help us, move … on.’

The exact nature of the group’s gripe with Elder remains uncertain. 

Last month, Elder pledged to implement a plan developed by former US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to house homeless residents, saying he would declare a ‘homeless emergency’ in the state as governor. 

Elder gets in a waiting Chevrolet Suburban and exit the tense scene on Wednesday morning

Elder gets in a waiting Chevrolet Suburban and exit the tense scene on Wednesday morning

The exact nature of the group's gripe with Elder remains uncertain

The exact nature of the group’s gripe with Elder remains uncertain

Elder added that he would consider himself a failure if he is not able to solve the state’s homeless issue should he be elected governor, according to Black Enterprise.

His next stop on Wednesday was far more positive while at Brent’s Deli in Northridge, where patrons cheered and filmed Elder before leaving with a take-out order of eight to 10 Reuben sandwiches, the the deli’s cashier told the Times.

Elder is the favorite conservative candidate to wrest the governorship from incumbent Gavin Newsom.

The recall election, scheduled for September 14, came after Newsom was blasted over his handling of the COVID pandemic.

CAUTION: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE  

He was also slated for eating indoors at the ultra-exclusive French Laundry restaurant in 2020 while imploring Californians to stay indoors.

The state endured among the toughest and longest-lasting lockdown measures of any US state, with Newsom facing further allegations of being out of touch after sending his children back to private schools with in-person classes while many California school districts refused to reopen classrooms.

Despite the scandals, a recent YouGov poll suggested Newsom will hold onto his job, with 58 per cent saying they’ll vote to keep him, with just 41 per cent opting to ditch.

Anyone voting to recall Newsom will be asked to name the person they’d like to see replace him, with the candidate that gets the most names becoming the next governor if Newsom does get ousted.  

source: dailymail.co.uk