The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has been accused of hypocrisy for his severe criticism of migrant transfers from Texas and Florida, despite having previously led a program to bus homeless people out of San Francisco.
After last week’s high-profile flights delivering Venezuelan refugees to Martha’s Vineyard, Newsom, a Democrat, engaged in an open war of words with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Newsom sought a criminal investigation of Florida’s airlift, describing it as a’morally repugnant’ and perhaps illegal attempt to ‘humiliate and demean’ the group of approximately 50 migrants.
At a press conference, DeSantis responded by stating that Newsom’s “hair gel is interfering with his mental function.” Both governors are regarded likely candidates for the presidential candidacy of their respective parties in the upcoming election cycles.
Some of Newsom’s detractors have pointed out that while he was San Francisco’s mayor more than a decade ago, he initiated a program that provided free one-way Greyhound tickets.
The campaign, branded ‘Homeward Bound,’ was described as Newsom’s ‘brainchild’ in a 2006 NPR piece, in which he praised the program for helping individuals ‘turn their lives around.’
After the high-profile flights delivering Venezuelan refugees to Martha’s Vineyard last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom (left) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (right) engaged in a public battle of words.
In a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Newsom sought a criminal investigation of Florida’s airlift, describing it as “morally repugnant” and perhaps unlawful.
The disparity caused some opponents to accuse Newsom of double standards, with conservative pundit Rusty Weiss noting in a column that Newsom has some explaining to do if moving individuals out of state to provide them a better life constitutes “kidnapping.”
In a response to DailyMail.com, Erin Mellon, a spokesman for Newsom, dismissed the allegation, stating, ‘There is no comparison between the two.’ SF assisted individuals in returning to their family. The GOP Republicans kidnapped individuals for political gain.
Mellon continued, “The Republican ploy misled to individuals about what they would receive and where they would go, and gave no assistance, instead dumping them on the street as political pawns.”
According to several sources, many of the migrants on the Martha’s Vineyard planes were informed they were headed to Boston and given free housing and employment.
Mellon said, ‘Homeward Bound was entirely voluntary, and participants volunteered to return to their families. While they waited, they were supplied with housing and financial assistance for food, and there was follow-up to ensure their safe return home.
As political props, Republican Governors employ vulnerable migrants, especially families with children. She continued, “Their behavior is horrible.”
On August 29, 2022, homeless tents may be observed in the vicinity of the San Francisco City Hall.
“This is a ploy by these governors to curry favor with their campaign contributors,” Not only is it ethically repulsive, but it may also be illegal.’
In 2019, Newsom stated that the majority of San Francisco’s homeless population was from Texas, which PolitiFact graded as false.
Saturday, Newsom challenged DeSantis to a debate prior to the November elections through Twitter.
Newsom tweeted on Friday, “Hey @GovRonDeSantis, it’s evident you’re struggling, distracted, and playing politics with people’s lives.”
In response to a tweet from Dan Rather requesting that CNN organize a debate between the two governors, Gavin Newsom stated, “Since you have just one paramount need, attention, let’s take this up and debate.”
‘I’ll bring my hair gel. You bring your hairspray,’ he continued, referencing DeSantis’ earlier comment that Newsom’s “hair gel is interfering with his cognitive function” when the California governor questioned his actions.
DeSantis defended his conduct by asserting that the migrants were aware of their destination and had freely signed up for the journey.
After Martha’s Vineyard declared an emergency about the group’s arrival, a group of fifty migrants dined on Venezuelan cuisine at a military post.
CNN said that Newsom’s challenge comes as DeSantis continues to justify flying migrants to Martha’s Vineyard and as his state prepares a $12 million budget to relocate additional immigrants to the north.
DeSantis stated at a press conference on Friday, “These are simply the initial steps.” “We now have an infrastructure in place. There will be a great deal more occurring.’
The governor of Florida stated that he may even work with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has been busing migrants to so-called sanctuary areas such as New York and Washington, D.C., since April.
DeSantis accused critics of his action of ‘virtue signaling’ and called their concern for the migrants’ wellbeing a ‘fraud.’
He stated, “The moment even a small portion of what those border towns see every day is delivered to their doorstep, they go bananas and are so outraged that this is occurring.”
The Republican further refuted reports that the migrants were unaware of their destination, stating that his office required them to sign a release and gave maps of Martha’s Vineyard.
He stated, “It’s evident that’s where they were going.” Everything is voluntary.