“It’s a disgrace what they do,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said of Fox News’ primetime programming and coverage of gun violence, according to ABC10, at a briefing related to the mass shooting in Monterey Park that killed 11 people on Saturday. “There’s xenophobia, they’re racial priming. What they have done to perpetuate crime and violence in this country, by scapegoating, and by doing not a damn thing about gun safety, not a damn thing for decades…”
Newsom’s remarks were made prior to a Monday shooting in Half Moon Bay that led to seven deaths and another last night in Oakland that injured seven and killed one teen.
“We have work to do,” said Newsom. “I mean, there are full networks that do nothing else but sell fear. That’s all they do. They sell fear about immigration. They sell fear about crime. And yet they sell calm about climate change. Let’s look at ourselves and let’s look at these outlets and the culpability.”
Referencing the “disgrace” remarks he’s just made, Newsom continued, “I know exactly what that means. That clip gets played and [then] I have 22 new clips trying to attack me and shut me up and it’s a warning to every politician that won’t call out their primetime lineup. It’s a disgrace. It’s a disgrace what these people say every single night.”
Deadline reached out to Fox News for comment and will add a response when received.
In the heat of the pandemic last February, Newsom lashed out at what he called “the great disinformation networks in America” for spreading misinformation about Covid. He did not stop there.
“I’m not just referring to Newsmax or the primetime propaganda lineup at Fox News and all of their pundits that safely have been boosted, fully vaxxed that continue to promote a lot of misinformation. Forgive me for being so pointed and candid. People are quite literally losing their lives.”
Newsom addressed the broader topic of gun control on Monday in an interview with CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor Norah O’Donnell.
“Nothing about this is surprising. Everything about this is infuriating,” he told O’Donnell. “The Second Amendment is becoming a suicide pact.”
Earlier last year, the governor signed into law a gun safety bill that would allow victims of gun violence to sue gun manufacturers. It was modeled on the mechanism in a Texas law that allows its citizens to sue doctors who perform abortions and others who aid women in accessing the procedure. The California bill was deemed unconstitutional by a judge.
While saying he has “no ideological opposition to someone reasonably and responsibly owning firearms and getting background checks and being trained,” Newsom called out conservative media outlets and likeminded politicians for their lack of action in the face of the killing.
“‘It’s not the right time,’ he said, mimicking a pro-gun talking point. “[After] Sandy Hook: ‘Not the right time.’ Rinse, repeat. Remember Uvalde? Remember it? Rinse, repeat. You don’t remember Borderline here [in Thousand Oaks]. 13 people [were killed]. That was a few years ago. Look that one up. Rinse, repeat. Not a damn thing they do, and we know it and we allow them to get away with that.”
The governor, who it has long been suspected has designs on the presidency, explained his strident opposition thusly: “I got four kids. I gotta sleep at night.”
Given that, he indicated that he will continue to advocate for stronger protections.
“I’m the future ex governor. I know everybody tried to make that sooner. The same group tried to recall me. The same gun-backed groups. Try it again. I don’t give a damn.”
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