Newsom calls California beach closures 'insane in hindsight'

California Governor Gavin Newsom described the state's decision to close beaches during the early months of the pandemic as "insane in hindsight." The remarks, made during an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, were released this month and have drawn sharp criticism from political opponents and some California residents.

Newsom, who was fly fishing in a Montana river during the interview, acknowledged that the state initially treated the crisis as a "Purell-based crisis," focusing on hand sanitizer shortages and price gouging rather than the virus itself. He identified the beach closures as one of several decisions he regrets, alongside keeping the state's largest public school systems closed longer than necessary.

The clip generated a significant social media response, with critics arguing that the logic of the closures was flawed from the start. Republican former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt posted on X that the move was "insane then," accusing Newsom of knowing its irrationality at the time. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon also took to X, referencing a lawsuit he filed in state and federal court to open Orange County beaches. Dhillon stated that Newsom lifted the order to moot the cases before hearings, asserting that the governor knew the closures were wrong back then.

Benny Johnson, host of "The Benny Show," highlighted specific enforcement actions in a post on X, citing an incident where a man was arrested for paddleboarding alone. Johnson argued that Newsom is now admitting these measures were "insane" because he believes he is running for president. Comedian Adam Carolla compared Newsom to a sea captain who ran his tanker into the rocks and is now asking to lead the fleet. Fox News political analyst Guy Benson added that it was "insane" to close beach parking lots while permitting Black Lives Matter protests in the same locations.

RealClearPolitics political correspondent Susan Crabtree pointed out a geographic inconsistency, noting that state beaches were closed while city beaches nearby remained open and crowded. These comments join a broader wave of scrutiny regarding government decisions made during the health emergency.

California issued a statewide stay-at-home order on March 19, 2020, affecting nearly 40 million residents. The state implemented mask mandates, closed businesses, and threatened to cut funding to cities that refused to enforce restrictions. Newsom faced a recall election in 2021 amid frustration over the administration's handling of the pandemic but retained his office. The governor had also attended an upscale dinner in November 2020 while imposing these restrictions, an event critics labeled hypocritical.

Questions about pandemic-era policy continue to surface in legislative hearings. In July, Dr. Anthony Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment 111 times while testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee about the government's response. Fox News Digital reached out to the governor's office for comment.