California Governor Gavin Newsom has disappeared from public view for 10 days and abruptly canceled plans to attend the COP26 climate summit in Scotland over unexplained ‘family obligations.’
Newsom was last seen in public on October 27, receiving a COVID-19 booster shot in Oakland. He said it was painless and then flexed in celebration, urging others to get boosters as well.
Two days later, his office issued a statement citing unspecified family obligations, abruptly cancelling his plans to attend the global climate conference, a huge gathering of international leaders on a subject that is among his highest priorities.
The statement claimed that Newsom would attend the summit virtually, though he still has not made a video appearance. California’s lieutenant governor led the delegation in his place. No further information on the ‘family obligations’ that caused the sudden alteration to his schedule have been shared.
Since then, Newsom has been seen only in prerecorded video statements, and in family Halloween photos posted on Monday, in costume as a pirate with his wife and four young children.
‘The governor has been working from the Capitol this week,’ a spokeswoman for Newsom told DailyMail.com on Saturday, dismissing any suggestion that the COP26 cancellation was connected to Newsom’s booster shot as ‘misinformation.’
October 27: Governor Newsom was last seen in public receiving a COVID-19 booster shot in Oakland from Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency
He said it was painless and then flexed in celebration, urging others to get boosters as well
After the federal government late Tuesday authorized Pfzier’s coronavirus vaccine for emergency use for kids 5 to 11, California implemented what state officials deemed a ‘robust vaccination program.’
It’s the kind of announcement that Newsom typically makes in-person in front of TV cameras, but the governor’s office announced the plan with an emailed news release.
His Twitter account went dark from October 28 until Tuesday, when he tweeted Election Day support to fellow Democratic Governors Phil Murphy of New Jersey and Terry McAuliffe of Virginia, who were seeking reelection.
As the week went on, Newson’s Twitter account was more active, tweeting about climate change, urging children to get vaccinated, and praising President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates for large companies.
Newsom submitted some prerecorded remarks to a transit conference earlier this week, and also posted a pre-recorded statement on Friday commemorating Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists.
His office announced some appointments to state agencies and boards. He also posted a photo on his Instagram account with his wife and four children, aged five to 12, dressed as pirates on Halloween.
November 1: Newsom posted a photo on his Instagram account with his wife and four children, aged five to 12, dressed as pirates on Halloween
The only statement from Newsom’s office cited an unspecified family obligation for his abrupt cancellation of plans to attend the COP26 climate summit in Scotland
November 5: Newsom posted a pre-recorded statement on Friday commemorating Diwali, the festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists
It’s rare, but not unprecedented, for Newsom to go a whole week without some type of appearance. Such absences are usually explained, including when Newsom leaves the state for vacation.
In this case, the only statement from Newsom’s office came October 29 and referred to unspecified family obligations. No additional information about the family’s circumstances has been released.
It’s a relatively slow time in Sacramento as the state Legislature is not in session and won’t meet again until January.
Recent storms mean no major wildfires are burning out of control, as has been the case in the fall months of recent years.
In September, Newsom survived a GOP-led recall election, beating Republican radio host Larry Elder by a margin of 61.9 percent to 38.1 percent, the same breakdown by which Newsom won the 2018 election.
For COP26, Newsome tapped Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis to lead the state delegation in his absence.
Democrats close to Newsom say he ‘desperately wanted to go’ to COP26 (above), the premiere global summit on climate change attended by elite leaders from around the world
‘The governor has a young family and we should all be understanding, especially those of us who have been there,’ said Kounalakis, who has two grown sons, at the time.
Democratic state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, who also attended the conference, said he suspected Newsom was very disappointed to not be going.
‘He loves this issue, he cares about it a lot,’ Hertzberg said. ‘It’s a big deal to him, and I’m sure he desperately wanted to go.’
Kounalakis returned from Scotland on Thursday. Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon will lead a second delegation of state lawmakers to Scotland next week for a series of meetings with world leaders and a tour of off-shore wind energy in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Newsom spokesperson Erin Mellon said the governor will appear virtually at the U.N. climate conference, which ends on November 12, next week.
‘The Governor will participate in a couple events next week focused on global efforts to advance zero emission vehicles and to move beyond oil,’ she said Thursday.