Governor Newsom's French Laundry Dinner for 12 Sparks Backlash Amidst Stringent Statewide COVID-19 Restrictions

SACRAMENTO, California – Governor Gavin Newsom faced significant public and political criticism in November 2020 after it was revealed he attended a dinner party at the opulent French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, California. The gathering, which reportedly included 12 individuals from multiple households, occurred while the state was under strict COVID-19 lockdown measures, drawing accusations of hypocrisy from various quarters.Uuring the fall of 2020, California was grappling with a surge in COVID-19 cases, leading to renewed and intensified public health orders. These mandates included a statewide stay-at-home order, capacity limits for businesses, and directives to avoid non-essential gatherings. Earlier in the pandemic, in April and May 2020, Governor Newsom had also ordered the closure of beaches in several counties, including Orange County, to curb public gatherings.The controversy erupted when photos surfaced of the Governor at the French Laundry, celebrating a birthday for a lobbyist friend. The attendance of multiple individuals from different households, including lobbyists, directly contradicted the state's own guidelines urging Californians to limit interactions outside their immediate households. The tweet in question highlighted this perceived double standard, stating, "> Who was the guy that shut down California, closed down the beaches and went to dinner with his crony lobbyist buddies? Gavin Newsom something something."Governor Newsom publicly apologized for the incident, acknowledging that he "should have modeled better behavior" and that his actions did not align with the public health messaging he was promoting. Despite his apology, the event fueled public anger and contributed to a growing recall effort against him, which gained considerable momentum in the months that followed. The incident underscored the challenges of leadership during a pandemic, particularly concerning public perception and adherence to self-imposed restrictions.