Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom is facing criticism for traveling on “personal travel” amid the winter storms devastating parts of the state with feet of snow. It is unknown where the governor traveled, as his office does not comment on such matters due to security concerns. However, he reportedly left California on Wednesday after a visit to the Diablo Canyon power plant in Avila Beach.
“Californians are trapped in their homes without power. More storms are on the way. And Governor Newsom has just left the state for ‘personal travel,’” said Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., in a Thursday tweet. Kiley also called on Acting Democratic Gov. Eleni Kounalakis to seek a Major Disaster Declaration from the President, noting that some Californians affected by the storms had no power and were short on supplies.
San Francisco Chronicle columnist Emily Hoeven tweeted Friday, suggesting that it may not have been the best timing for Newsom to go out of state on personal travel, linking to an article about Californians being stranded without food or a way to dig themselves out of the snow.
It is unclear why Newsom chose to travel out of the state amid the ongoing storm situation, as well as after declaring a state of emergency in 13 counties across the state, including Los Angeles, on Wednesday due to the storms. This is not the first time the governor has faced criticism for personal travel out of the state. Last year, he was criticized for vacationing in Montana despite it being one of the 22 states in which he banned state-funded travel over differences concerning LGBT-related laws.
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
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