Gavin Newsom is the surprise star of CPAC – By Eric Ting (SFGATE) / Aug. 8, 2022
This weekend’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) gathering in Dallas had many interesting attractions, ranging from Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene praying with a Jan. 6 Capitol rioter in mock jail cell to Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz trashing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
The conference, usually attended by the most fervent members of the conservative movement, is typically a way for lawmakers to increase name recognition with the GOP base and elevate their profiles. One lawmaker apparently on the brains of CPAC attendees was not a Republican; it was California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Newsom has waded into national politics in recent months by running ads in Florida and Texas trashing conservative politicians and policies, and it seems GOP voters have taken notice. One dispatch notes that a man listening to a speech from Steve Bannon was gripping a giant flag reading “GAVIN NEWSOM SUCKS.” California Assemblyman and congressional candidate Kevin Kiley addressed attendees Saturday and spoke extensively about Newsom, stating to the applause of attendees, “Gavin Newsom’s California is not a model to the nation. It is a warning to the nation.”
