CNN’s Tapper Grills Newsom over Recall Effort: ‘All 2 Million Californians Who Signed This Aren’t All Trumpsters’

TAPPER Governor Newsom thanks ░░░░░░░░ much for joining us ░░░░░░░░ re facing a recall ░░░░░░░░ in part because of ░░░░░░░░ handling of the pandemic ░░░░░░░░ organizers say they have ░░░░░░░░ than the 1 5 ░░░░░░░░ signatures needed to meet ░░░░░░░░ s deadline to get ░░░░░░░░ recall on the ballot ░░░░░░░░ covered one of your ░░░░░░░░ before in California and ░░░░░░░░ the end of it ░░░░░░░░ was a brand new ░░░░░░░░ governor Are you worried ░░░░░░░░ Yeah I mean look ░░░░░░░░ have the lowest threshold ░░░░░░░░ the 19 states that ░░░░░░░░ a recall in the ░░░░░░░░ and all you need ░░░░░░░░ about a quarter of ░░░░░░░░ people that voted for ░░░░░░░░ Trump getting this recall ░░░░░░░░ to the voters this ░░░░░░░░ so I m anticipating ░░░░░░░░ goes on We re ░░░░░░░░ it very seriously This ░░░░░░░░ the sixth sixth recall ░░░░░░░░ in just 25 months ░░░░░░░░ I ve been governor ░░░░░░░░ one appears because they ░░░░░░░░ an extension from a ░░░░░░░░ to have the requisite ░░░░░░░░ and absolutely we re ░░░░░░░░ it seriously TAPPER You ░░░░░░░░ been characterizing your the ░░░░░░░░ supporters in a certain ░░░░░░░░ Recall backers say that ░░░░░░░░ than 2 million people ░░░░░░░░ signed the petition You ░░░░░░░░ t think that all ░░░░░░░░ million are as you ░░░░░░░░ them anti vaxxers QAnon ░░░░░░░░ theorists and anti immigrant ░░░░░░░░ supporters can you Newsom ░░░░░░░░ the lead proponents The ░░░░░░░░ proponent of this the ░░░░░░░░ proponent of this recall ░░░░░░░░ by the way that ░░░░░░░░ dates the pandemic is ░░░░░░░░ that believes we should ░░░░░░░░ immigrants You have people ░░░░░░░░ are part of the ░░░░░░░░ coalition that started this ░░░░░░░░ that are avid Proud ░░░░░░░░ members They re part ░░░░░░░░ the Three Percenters the ░░░░░░░░ wing militia group They ░░░░░░░░ supporters of QAnon conspiracy ░░░░░░░░ white supremacist groups that ░░░░░░░░ not that s factual ░░░░░░░░ so at the end ░░░░░░░░ the day that s ░░░░░░░░ origins of this and ░░░░░░░░ combine that with Newt ░░░░░░░░ and Mike Huckabee and ░░░░░░░░ Nunes and now the ░░░░░░░░ nationalizing this recall time ░░░░░░░░ money you re going ░░░░░░░░ get something on the ░░░░░░░░ TAPPER But what do ░░░░░░░░ think of the 2 ░░░░░░░░ or so Californians who ░░░░░░░░ signed it who have ░░░░░░░░ this petition I m ░░░░░░░░ talking about the leaders ░░░░░░░░ you just went after ░░░░░░░░ all 2 million Californians ░░░░░░░░ signed this aren t ░░░░░░░░ Trumpsters I mean we ░░░░░░░░ interviewed people who were ░░░░░░░░ of yours who are ░░░░░░░░ supporting the recall effort ░░░░░░░░ large part at least ░░░░░░░░ to anecdotally the interviews ░░░░░░░░ reporters on the ground ░░░░░░░░ been doing because they ░░░░░░░░ that the measures you ░░░░░░░░ were too harsh too ░░░░░░░░ Newsom Look I respect ░░░░░░░░ It s been a ░░░░░░░░ year In hindsight you ░░░░░░░░ we re all experts ░░░░░░░░ reality is it was ░░░░░░░░ a year ago was ░░░░░░░░ year ago this week ░░░░░░░░ was the first state ░░░░░░░░ initiate a stay at ░░░░░░░░ order I think we ░░░░░░░░ thousands and thousands of ░░░░░░░░ At the end of ░░░░░░░░ day though we re ░░░░░░░░ progress now I m ░░░░░░░░ at a school 9 ░░░░░░░░ plus schools have either ░░░░░░░░ or about to reopen ░░░░░░░░ ve administered 12 6 ░░░░░░░░ doses of vaccine 464 ░░░░░░░░ just yesterday a record ░░░░░░░░ We re investing billions ░░░░░░░░ dollars to help get ░░░░░░░░ small businesses back on ░░░░░░░░ feet and now 47 ░░░░░░░░ of our 58 counties ░░░░░░░░ reopened There s bright ░░░░░░░░ at the end of ░░░░░░░░ tunnel but I m ░░░░░░░░ mindful and I m ░░░░░░░░ respectful to all the ░░░░░░░░ that people have felt ░░░░░░░░ the last year TAPPER ░░░░░░░░ s been observed that ░░░░░░░░ recall petition had only ░░░░░░░░ 50 000 signatures until ░░░░░░░░ infamously attended that dinner ░░░░░░░░ multiple other households at ░░░░░░░░ fancy restaurant French Laundry ░░░░░░░░ whatever it s called ░░░░░░░░ birthday party for a ░░░░░░░░ no less all while ░░░░░░░░ were telling Californians that ░░░░░░░░ should be staying at ░░░░░░░░ So about 50 000 ░░░░░░░░ 000 signatures before you ░░░░░░░░ that dinner then a ░░░░░░░░ later that 50 000 ░░░░░░░░ had become something like ░░░░░░░░ 000 Now I know ░░░░░░░░ you have apologized for ░░░░░░░░ dinner You called it ░░░░░░░░ mistake to go but ░░░░░░░░ I was wondering at ░░░░░░░░ time and I don ░░░░░░░░ think you ve answered ░░░░░░░░ on Earth were you ░░░░░░░░ Newsom Well as a ░░░░░░░░ of over a quarter ░░░░░░░░ century his having his ░░░░░░░░ birthday restaurants were open ░░░░░░░░ the state I wasn ░░░░░░░░ suggesting people should not ░░░░░░░░ Where I was wrong ░░░░░░░░ I ve owned this ░░░░░░░░ I ve held myself ░░░░░░░░ a high level of ░░░░░░░░ even my worst critics ░░░░░░░░ there were too many ░░░░░░░░ at the table And ░░░░░░░░ was a mistake At ░░░░░░░░ end of the day ░░░░░░░░ this recall petition was ░░░░░░░░ not just by that ░░░░░░░░ was aided by a ░░░░░░░░ who ultimately doubled the ░░░░░░░░ of time that they ░░░░░░░░ get this recall supported ░░░░░░░░ ultimately on the ballot ░░░░░░░░ they received almost 3 ░░░░░░░░ of money some coming ░░░░░░░░ different parts of the ░░░░░░░░ not just from the ░░░░░░░░ of California So at ░░░░░░░░ of the day it ░░░░░░░░ complicated as to why ░░░░░░░░ is on but that ░░░░░░░░ not determinative TAPPER So ░░░░░░░░ don t regret going ░░░░░░░░ the dinner you regret ░░░░░░░░ fact that there were ░░░░░░░░ many people at the ░░░░░░░░ like you would have ░░░░░░░░ if it had been ░░░░░░░░ people or something or ░░░░░░░░ people Newsom Restaurants were ░░░░░░░░ in the vast majority ░░░░░░░░ the state That s ░░░░░░░░ here nor there It ░░░░░░░░ a mistake and I ░░░░░░░░ have gotten up and ░░░░░░░░ when I sat down ░░░░░░░░ that table and there ░░░░░░░░ too many people at ░░░░░░░░ table and that was ░░░░░░░░ with what I was ░░░░░░░░ I ve made this ░░░░░░░░ clear at ad nauseam ░░░░░░░░ It was a mistake ░░░░░░░░ I haven t made ░░░░░░░░ mistake like that before ░░░░░░░░ since And we own ░░░░░░░░ We re human And ░░░░░░░░ have to move on ░░░░░░░░ I ve been moving ░░░░░░░░ doggedly to fight every ░░░░░░░░ day to get our ░░░░░░░░ back into school get ░░░░░░░░ vaccinated and get this ░░░░░░░░ moving again.”