California Gov. Gavin Newsom on March 19, 2021 in San Francisco, California. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, faces a boisterous recall effort from disgruntled citizens. While the effort existed prior to the coronavirus crisis, it picked up steam following outrage over coronavirus, lockdowns, and Newsom s own ill-advised trip to a swanky Napa Valley restaurant while his constituents endured pandemic restrictions.
It s common for California governors to face recall threats, but it s rare for one to actually lose his or her job in a recall election. Only Democrat Gray Davis was ousted, in 2003, and was ultimately replaced by the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Activists Fueling Concerns About Vaccine Safety
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Activists Fueling Concerns About COVID Vaccine Safety
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Tom Elias: Ironic recall bears likely pluses for Newsom
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The colorful Internet ad from an organization called Rescue California, a lead sponsor of the petition drive to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, accuses him of posting “The worst record of getting vaccines distributed” of any state in America.
For one thing, that’s not correct. As of Feb. 1, California stood 37th among the states in the percentage of available COVID-19 vaccine doses that had already been administered. Not great, but far from the worst, and the pace has picked up since then.
Then there’s the irony in that ad. Among the early leaders of the Newsom recall have been two organizers and leaders of rallies by the Freedom Angels, a group of hardline anti-vaccination activists. One of that movement’s adherents violently attacked the pro-vaccination leader and Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan last year as he walked in his Sacramento district.
Recall Gavin Newsom Movement Includes Proud Boys Members and Man Who Called BLM Black KKK
On 1/28/21 at 8:09 AM EST
Members of the far-right Proud Boys group, the Three Percenters militia movement, and someone who has described Black Lives Matter activists as vile, violent.the black version of the KKK are among the activists linked to the effort to recall California Governor Gavin Newsom.
The Proud Boys, founded in 2016, are a right-wing extremist group who were involved in the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol building on January 6. The group, which glorifies violence and believes men and Western culture are under attack, has been banned from several social networks, and is listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.