Governor Gavin Newsom recently admitted during a CNN interview that his 2020 COVID policies, including school closures and beach shutdowns, were misguided in hindsight. However, critics argue that this admission is politically motivated rather than genuine, given the timing of his remarks amid an election year. The article highlights how Newsom’s strict measures persisted longer compared to other states, causing significant harm, particularly to students from underprivileged backgrounds who missed crucial in-person learning opportunities due to prolonged school closures and deferral to teachers' unions. Additionally, it points out widespread unemployment fraud during the pandemic period that California under Newsom's leadership failed to curb effectively.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-17,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.65, but every quote it verified points right, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 15035: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-09-17
Now Gavin Newsom tells us he was wrong in 2020 about COVID –– even as the rest of us knew his double-standard-laden policies were cockamamie at the time.
asserted
policies → tell → time
The governor dove into damage control this week at his California ranch, where he staged a “conversation” while fly fishing with CNN’s Jake Tapper.
asserted
he → dive → Tapper
“The idea that we closed beaches was insane in hindsight,” faux-mused Newsom, as he stood in water wearing long pants but apparently no waders.
asserted
he → close → pants
“Obviously, the schools taking too long,” the gov added.
asserted
gov → take → schools
LA refused, and I regret that.”
asserted
I → refuse → that
Does anyone really believe Gavin Newsom regrets not bucking the teachers unions?
asserted
Newsom → believe → unions
(The California Teachers Association gave $1.8 million to the gov’s 2021 anti-recall campaign alone.
asserted
Association → give → campaign
It’s also evidence of just how bad the governor’s judgment can be.
asserted
judgment → ’ → ?
To review: Saner governors said at the time that overreaches like Newsom’s –– prolonged stay-at-home orders; bans on church attendance and outdoor recreation; lengthy school shutdowns –– were insane.
asserted
overreaches → review → attendance
But Newsom in March 2020 had issued the nation’s first statewide stay-at-home order, imposing widespread controls on people’s movements and everyday life.
And he was loathe to give it up.
asserted
he → issue → it
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
The governor did not fully rescind his emergency COVID order until June 2021 –– a year after red states had lifted most if not all restrictions.
asserted
states → download → restrictions
The damage done in that window by Newsom’s decrees is mind-boggling and endures to this day.
asserted
damage → do → day
Victims include California students, starting with some of the most vulnerable, who missed the better part of a year of in-person instruction as Newsom deferred to teachers unions and kept classrooms dark.
asserted
Newsom → include → classrooms
(United Teachers Los Angeles was indeed among the worst, demanding crazy concessions like defunding the police before they’d agree to reopen schools.)
The result: Learning gaps that still show up in test scores and could permanently impair those students’ lifetime earnings and achievement.
uncertain
that → demand → earnings
And Newsom now says, aw shucks, mistakes were made?
asserted
mistakes → say → ?
Then there’s the massive unemployment fraud the governor abided during COVID.
asserted
governor → ’ → COVID
California under Newsom paid out tens of billions of dollars in improper or fraudulent unemployment claims –– including, famously, to people in prison.
uncertain
California → pay → prison
To this day, the state’s unemployment system owes the federal government more than $20 billion from the glut of COVID unemployment payouts, many of which were fraudulent.
asserted
many → owe → which
Another mere “oops,” it seems.
asserted
it → seem → oops
Liquor stores could stay open.
uncertain
stores → stay → ?
Black Lives Matter protesters/rioters could congregate outside despite the virus.
uncertain
rioters → congregate → virus
But others had to stay indoors.
asserted
others → have → ?
Families were barred from Taco Bell.
asserted
Families → bar → Bell
But the elite could dine at posh hotspots.
uncertain
elite → dine → hotspots
And on it went.
asserted
it → go → ?
Freedom was suppressed, businesses left bereft, innocents punished for enjoying nature; recall the paddleboarder prodded from the Malibu ocean and then arrested for transgressing Newsom’s stay-at-home rules.
asserted
innocents → suppress → rules
Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court ruled in 2021 that Newsom’s COVID restrictions on religious worship violated the First Amendment.
asserted
restrictions → rule → Amendment
Yet only now, as he’s prepping a 2028 presidential bid, does the governor locate some regret?
asserted
governor → preppe → regret
He’s spent years defending his draconian pandemic rules.
asserted
He → spend → rules
Remember the fiery 2023 debate on “Hannity” where Newsom blasted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for lifting COVID restrictions in Florida at a time when California had stayed locked down?
asserted
California → remember → time
“The only person that needs to apologize is Ron DeSantis for the tens of thousands of lives that died unnecessarily because he played to the fringe of his party,” Newsom declared.
asserted
Newsom → need → party
The COVID death rates in the two states were about the same and now, almost three years after that debate, we see Newsom relenting.
asserted
Newsom → see → debate
Let’s face it: Newsom had one eye on the camera and the other on 2028 as he offered this fake and belated mea culpa not to the people of California, but to a national reporter.
asserted
he → face → reporter
His only real regret, perhaps, is getting caught cavorting at the French Laundry in violation of his own lockdown rules.
asserted
regret → catch → rules
That dining caper was “just boneheaded decision, just stupid decision,” Newsom said while clutching a fishing rod.
And voters are supposed to trust his judgment now?
asserted
voters → say → judgment
The Aporia
