Gavin Newsom denied that his recent ad inviting Floridians to “join us in California” had anything to do with presidential ambitions. Many see Newsom, a Democrat, and Florida Gov. Ron Desantis, who is a Republican, as the frontrunners in the 2024 race for the White House.
The CA governor called the notion “Nonsensical in this respect: that I’ll be meeting with the vice president in a moment. My old friend, colleague, Californian, the vice president of the United States,” Newsom said of Vice President Kamala Harris, with whom he had lunch on Friday, reported the Sacramento Bee. Tradition assumes the current VP would be her party’s candidate if the president is not running.
“It’s a non starter,” Newsom said of his own presidential campaign.
The California Governor also told the Bee that the motivation behind the ad was more personal than political.
“He [DeSantis] did something that tipped me very directly, and that was going after the Special Olympics. I had an emotional response to that,” Newsom told The Bee, his voice catching. “That led to the consideration of doing something a little bit more expressive and that was the determination on the ad.”
You can watch the ad below.
We’re about to celebrate Independence Day — but Freedom is under attack by Republican leaders in states like Florida.
Banning books.
Restricting speech.
Making it harder to vote.
Criminalizing women and doctors.
It’s time to stand up. Don’t let them take your freedom. pic.twitter.com/cFI5UzgZzX— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) July 3, 2022
Newsom has a history with the Special Olympics. He led the committee to host its World Games in Los Angeles in 2015. He has posted online throughout the years about the experience saying ,”It has changed me.”
I chaired the Special Olympics World Games in 2015. I will never forget the joy it spread and the impact it had on so many lives.
Take a look, @BetsyDeVosED.
This is who you are choosing to slash funding from. pic.twitter.com/fSoGVhQA0j
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) March 27, 2019
Florida threatened the Special Olympics with millions in penalties if it required vaccination at its event in Orlando last month. At the time Newsom, who has been open about his own struggles with dyslexia, tweeted a response.
“Ron DeSantis’ values on full display: Bullying. The. Special. Olympics,”
Ron DeSantis’ values on full display: Bullying. The. Special. Olympics. https://t.co/jZcog2gRyn
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 3, 2022
Whether the ad was or was not about 2024, Newsom has made a habit of trying to address Conservative Americans of late. He joined Donald Trump’s Truth Social last month and has posted several videos there engaging users on topics such as gun control and abortion.