In a recent statement, California Governor Gavin Newsom found himself in an awkward position following remarks made about the White House Correspondents’ Dinner incident. This came shortly after he publicly ridiculed former President Donald Trump’s participation in the annual event.
Before the prestigious dinner took place, Newsom’s press office seized the moment to poke fun at the former president. In a bold statement, they wished “Little D” good luck at the event. The message, written in all caps and credited to “Governor GCN,” implied a sly jab at Trump, stating, “Glad he is finally seeing a ‘mentalist.’ Long overdue!”
This comment referenced Oz Pearlman, a mentalist who was captured in a viral video performing a mind-reading act for Trump just moments before gunfire erupted. Newsom’s team further joked that Pearlman could potentially perform miracles for other attendees at the event.
The mentalist in reference was Oz Pearlman, who was seen in video performing one of his viral mind readings for Trump moments before gunshots were fired.
Newsom’s press account went on to suggest that Pearlman “should work miracles” for other attendees.
The governor did not attend the dinner but was in DC this weekend. He was spotted at various events over the weekend and was making his way to an alternative new media event hosted by Substack.
After shots were fired at the dinner and a suspect was detained, the governor changed his tune on the event.
“Relieved everyone at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is safe tonight based on initial reports,” Newsom said from his official X account. “A free press is foundational to our country. Violence is never acceptable.”
The gunman was reported to be 31-year-old Cole Thomas Allen from Torrance, California. He allegedly sent an anti-Trump manifesto before the shooting and revealed he was trying to kill Trump administration officials.
“I’m not a schoolkid blown up, or a child starved, or a teenage girl abused by the many criminals in this administration,” Allen wrote.
“Turning the other cheek when someone else is oppressed is not Christian behavior; it is complicity in the oppressor’s crimes.”
Newsom over the past year has embraced a more combative tone online against Trump and others, which he has said is meant to mirror Trump’s bombastic rhetoric.
It’s generated a lot of attention for the governor, rumored to eye a 2028 presidential campaign.
Critics of the governor blamed his framing of Trump as a threat to democracy for helping spark what seems to be multiple attempts on Trump’s life.
Other California Democrats dismissed any connections between calling Trump out and political violence.
“Saying the President is ‘terrible for this country’ — which he is — is not the cause of that violence,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener, who is running to replace Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi, a powerhouse icon in California politics, issued a statement sympathizing with those targeted by the gunman.
“It is a great relief that the President, First Lady and everyone in attendance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner is safe following a terrifying act of violence inside the venue,” Pelosi said.
“As someone whose family has suffered political violence, my prayers are with the injured officer and all those affected by the trauma of these horrible incidents,” she added.
