California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing renewed criticism after saying he regrets some of the strict COVID-19 restrictions imposed during the pandemic, including the decision to close beaches.
During the pandemic, Newsom’s administration imposed a series of sweeping measures aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus, including restrictions on gatherings, business operations, and travel. He also faced criticism in 2020 after attending a birthday dinner at the upscale French Laundry restaurant in Napa Valley while his administration was urging Californians to limit gatherings involving multiple households. Newsom later apologized, calling his decision to attend the dinner a mistake.
The latest controversy stems from comments Newsom made during a recent CNN interview with Jake Tapper.
Looking back on California’s pandemic response, Newsom said, “the idea that we closed beaches was insane, in hindsight.” He also acknowledged regrets over how long some major school districts remained closed to in-person instruction.
“A lot of districts were open, but the big ones weren’t. L.A. refused. And I regret that, obviously,” Newsom said.
The remarks quickly drew criticism from figures who had opposed California’s COVID-era restrictions.
Conservative podcaster Benny Johnson accused Newsom of reversing course only as speculation grows about a possible future presidential campaign. Johnson pointed to pandemic-era measures including the closure of recreational facilities, mask requirements and vaccination-verification rules, arguing that Californians had warned at the time that the restrictions went too far.
RealClearPolitics political correspondent Susan Crabtree also criticized what she described as inconsistencies in the state’s restrictions. In a social media post, she argued that beach parking lots were closed to ordinary visitors while Black Lives Matter demonstrations were allowed in some of the same locations. She also pointed to instances in which state beaches were closed while neighboring city beaches remained open.
Harmeet Dhillon, now assistant attorney general for the U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, also weighed in. Dhillon, who challenged California’s pandemic restrictions in court at the time, recalled litigation over the closure of Orange County beaches and argued that Newsom should have recognized even then that the restrictions were misguided.
Newsom’s comments have revived debate over California’s pandemic response as public officials across the country continue to reassess decisions made during the early years of COVID-19.
