California Governor Gavin Newsom loves his lavish dinners, ritzy activities, and ignoring his state in turmoil.
Look no further than what he was doing earlier this month while anti-ICE raids kicked off in Los Angeles. As his state descended into chaos, Newsom was living it up at the “Vineyard Vibes” event at the Napa Valley’s Odette Estate Winery. The event was organized as a fundraiser for the PlumpJack Foundation, belonging to the governor’s sister.
“One witness was appalled that the Democrat was casually enjoying a glass of vino in a V-neck T-shirt and baseball cap the day after his City of Angels started spiraling into violence, with rioters throwing concrete rocks at cops and vandalizing federal buildings,” the New York Post reported.
While L.A. was on fire with anti-ICE riots, Gavin Newsom was sipping wine at a Napa fundraiser.
Molotovs in the streets… jazz and Chardonnay in the vineyards.
This isn’t leadership. It’s a luxury photo-op while cities burn.
Voters won’t forget this, or maybe they will?… pic.twitter.com/y1J0GwF8db
— Tony Lane (@TonyLaneNV) June 21, 2025
“I couldn’t believe it,” said the person who took photographs of the governor enjoying the “vibes.”
“He was just walking around like this was an everyday occurrence.”
This is not the first time that Newsom has been photographed enjoying himself while the people of California suffer. Most notably, he was seen at a bougie Napa Valley restaurant called French Laundry during his own COVID-19 lockdowns. While Californians were forced to stay home or mask up to engage in daily activities, Newsom was bucking state guidelines on gathering restrictions.
As BizPac Review reported in 2020, the San Francisco Chronicle detailed the extent of Newsom’s “holier-than-thou” bash.
“The dinner the night of Nov. 6 at the famed French Laundry in Yountville in Napa County brought together at least 12 people to celebrate the 50th birthday of Jason Kinney, a longtime friend and adviser to Newsom who is also a partner at the lobbying firm Axiom Advisors,” the Chronicle confirmed Friday.
Attending a private birthday bash would have been perfectly acceptable had Newsom not spent the last eight or so months imposing rigid coronavirus lockdown rules on his constituents and lecturing them about the need to limit gatherings.
“State guidelines limit gatherings, defined as ‘social situations that bring together people from different households at the same time in a single space or place,’ to no more than three households,” the Chronicle’s report continued.
“Representatives for Kinney and Newsom declined to specify how many households the diners represented, but did not dispute that it was more than three.”
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Nearly five years after the incident, it appears that Newsom just can’t stay away from his Napa Valley activities when his state needs its most powerful leader to be present and engaged.
Writers and editors can be contacted at writers@bizpcreview.com with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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