California Governor Newsom on his draconian COVID mandates: ‘None of us knew’

Even though the science was clear early on, Newsom pleads ignorance

California Governor Gavin Newsom claimed ignorance last week when he was confronted about his sweeping vaccine mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2021, Newsom began requiring state employees to take the COVID-19 injections, and strongly recommended that children—who are statistically at zero risk of serious illness or death—also receive the experimental shots. In October 2021, Newsom announced plans to add the shots to the list of required vaccinations for K-12 students.

In an interview on Tuesday, podcast host Shawn Ryan asked Newsom a question on behalf of fellow podcaster Joe Rogan.

“Who will be held accountable for mandating COVID-19 vaccines for children, which were unnecessary and ineffective, and who will take responsibility for the unprecedented increases in myocarditis and cancer cases among them?” Rogan asked.

“Second to that,” he added, “do you feel any remorse for that draconian decision that was obviously heavily influenced by the pharmaceutical companies’ desire for maximum profit?”

After responding with “vaccines save lives,” Newsom nervously launched into a lengthy speech about how he’s ordering a review of his own COVID-19 policies. At the end, he pleaded ignorance.

“I know everyone’s a g*****n genius now in hindsight, but at the time, none of us knew what we were up against,” said Newsom.

Fact check: We all knew

It became clear at the beginning of the pandemic that children were not at risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19. A May 2020 European study showed less than 2% hospitalizations and no excess deaths among under-18s, and the CDC itself said in August 2020 that children were less susceptible. By mid-2021, the CDC acknowledged that children made up less than 0.01% of COVID-19 deaths.

Newsom has come under fire for his other harsh COVID-19 policies, some of which he flouted. While he ordered wineries to shut down indoor operations, those in which he had financial interests were exempt. Despite banning indoor dining, Newsom attended an elite party at the swanky restaurant French Laundry, where he and his fellow revelers also violated his mask mandate. He ordered children to remain masked in schools but attended events unmasked. He kept places of worship closed even as he allowed restaurants, malls, offices, schools, and factories to reopen. Home bible studies were also forbidden. Even after allowing places of worship to reopen, Newsom banned worshippers from singing and chanting.

The “review” Newsom has ordered of his policies may be unnecessary. A review of state COVID-19 policies has already found that California had one of the worst pandemic responses in the country and fared worse than nearly all states in mortality, economy, and education.