Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is considered one of the most influential Democrats in the party, often putting Republican leaders on blast over GOP proposals and policies, garnering speculation regarding a White House bid if President Joe Biden steps down.
Although viewed as a guard dog for Biden and the progressive movement, Newsom has recently split multiple times with his party on controversial issues.
TRUMPISM 2.0: THE PERSONNEL NEEDED TO MAKE THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S POLICIES POSSIBLE
This past week, Newsom has made remarks that put him at odds with Democrats, hitting a nerve when he said he doesn't want to appoint a replacement for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). The California governor also defied Democrats' wishes by pushing back against an autonomous trucking bill that would require safety drivers. He criticized left-leaning judges and liberal advocates for preventing San Francisco officials from clearing homeless encampments.
Here's a look at where Newsom diverges from Democrats:
The Feinstein problem
Last weekend, Newsom said he would select an “interim appointment” for Feinstein should the Senate seat open up, confirming he wouldn't choose Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), who is one of three Democrats currently running for the oldest serving senator's seat.
“Yes. Interim appointment. I don’t want to get involved in the primary,” Newsom said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
“It would be completely unfair to the Democrats that have worked their tail off,” Newsom continued. “That primary is just a matter of months away. I don’t want to tip the balance of that.”
The California governor’s comments hit a nerve with Lee and her Democratic supporters after he promised to fulfill his 2021 statement to choose a black woman to replace Feinstein if her seat became vacant. While Newsom said he’d abide by his promise, he ruled out selecting Lee for the role.
Lee, who would be the only black woman in the U.S. Senate if victorious, said she was “troubled” by Newsom’s comments, pointing out there have only been two black women in the Senate: former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun from Illinois and Vice President Kamala Harris from California.
“I am troubled by the Governor’s remarks,” Lee wrote on X. “The idea that a Black woman should be appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after election.”
Sides with tech over Teamsters in autonomous trucking
Newsom sided with the technology industry over the Democratic Party and labor unions by opposing a bill that requires a trained human safety operator to be present in an autonomous heavy-duty vehicle.
This week, the California Senate passed Assembly Bill 316 in a 36-2 vote, mandating driverless trucks that weigh 10,000 pounds to 80,000 pounds to have a safety operator on board. The legislation now awaits Newsom’s signature, but the governor has indicated he’s likely to veto the bill.
Sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, Newsom’s business development office wrote to the state lawmaker that the legislation would be a blow to the autonomous truck industry and would undermine California's competitiveness in economic innovation.
“Our state is on the cusp of a new era and cannot risk stifling innovation at this critical juncture,” the letter to legislators read, warning of other states moving forward with autonomous technology. The letter said others are “actively positioning themselves to lure away California-based companies and the investments and jobs they bring.”
The Teamsters, a powerful Democratic union, pushed the governor to sign the bill to help secure jobs for truckers that the self-driving industry threatens.
“If Gov. Newsom vetoes this bill, he is putting the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of truck drivers at risk while jeopardizing public safety,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said.
Multiple Democratic elected officials have supported AB 316, as well as agencies like the California Highway Patrol and law enforcement, who have expressed concerns over the safety of autonomous trucks. San Francisco is engaged in its own self-driving vehicle debate after officials voted to allow driverless taxis throughout the city last month. City attorney David Chiu and Aaron Peskin, the board of supervisors president, both Democrats, are hitting the lack of regulations for self-driving vehicles.
Knocking liberal judges for ban on San Francisco homeless sweeps
Newsom said this week that California will intervene in an ongoing legal battle that prevents San Francisco from clearing homeless encampments until additional shelter beds are offered, stating the judge has gone “too far.”
“I hope this goes to the Supreme Court,” Newsom said, speaking with Politico in Sacramento. “And that’s a hell of a statement coming from a progressive Democrat.”
His remarks come after he blasted a decision from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that denied overturning an injunction issued last year by U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu of the Northern District of California, blocking the city from clearing encampments.
“The San Francisco order, it’s preposterous and it’s inhumane,” Newsom said in an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle in August, noting the ban is “incredibly frustrating.”
San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Newsom are clashing with liberal activists such as members of the Democratic Socialists of America and Harvey Milk Democratic Club, who supported the court ruling last month, advocating additional shelter and affordable housing.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Newsom said the ruling puts “lives ... at risk,” adding, “It's unacceptable what's happening on the streets and sidewalks."
“We're now complicit, all of us, at all levels of government and all branches of government,” Newsom said.