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COURTESY PHOTOGov. Gavin Newsom.
By MADISON HIRNEISEN
THE CENTER SQUARE STAFF REPORTER
(The Center Square) — Gov. Gavin Newsom took aim at the oil industry and certain media companies in a fiery speech in New York Wednesday, highlighting California’s climate initiatives and efforts to battle extreme heat and wildfires on the national stage.
Speaking from Climate Week NYC, Gov. Newsom slammed the fossil fuel industry and certain media organizations during closing remarks Wednesday. The governor specifically called out the Wall Street Journal editorial board, dubbing them “troglodytes” for an editorial published Tuesday evening criticizing California’s climate approach.
“Stop reading the editorial boards of the Wall Street Journal. Stop listening to the CEOs of these big corporations that have been destroying this planet making it uninhabitable …,” Gov. Newsom said. “It’s time to call these folks out. It’s time to take these guys on (at) Fox News. It’s time to take these guys out in these editorial board rooms that have been subsidized and are wholly owned subsidiaries of the special interests that don’t have your interest at heart.”
The speech was a portion of Gov. Newsom’s visit to New York, where he attended Climate Week NYC and spoke at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting. Throughout his remarks, the governor highlighted the state’s plan to phase out the sale of most gas-powered vehicles by 2035 while also providing insight into California’s current climate woes – “the wets are getting a lot wetter … and the hots a lot hotter.”
Gov. Newsom also used his remarks to call out Republican governors on the national stage. In a Tuesday speech, Gov. Newsom specifically named Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, saying he and other conservative governors are “as dumb as they want to be” on climate issues.
“They’re just doubling down on stupid, and we will not follow their path,” Gov. Newsom said.
Gov. Newsom’s comments come as the latest in a series of actions and remarks aimed at officials in red states, fueling speculation that the governor is building his national profile ahead of a potential presidential run in 2024.
Just last week, Gov. Newsom challenged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to a televised debate shortly after urging the Department of Justice to investigate the conservative governor after transporting migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts. Prior to that, Gov. Newsom announced the launch of billboards promoting California’s abortion services in a handful of states that tightened abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.
Those actions are on top of the governor’s move to run full-page ads in Texas newspapers to highlight a new California gun law modeled after Texas’ abortion law back in July.
Gov. Newsom has consistently denied that he is rearing for a presidential run, telling reporters he has “sub-zero interest” in running for the nation’s top office.
Gov. Newsom, who survived a recall election last year, is up for re-election in November.
Madison Hirneisen covers California for The Center Square.
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