Bernie Sanders Says 'Extremist Republicans' Are Behind Effort To Recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Senator Bernie Sanders is weighing in on the effort to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
In a tweet on Monday, Sanders bashed Republicans for bashing the recall effort on Newsom's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Right-wing Republicans in CA are trying to recall @GavinNewsom for the crime of telling people to wear masks and for listening to scientists during COVID. Extremist Republicans have done enough to undermine democracy already. We must all unite to oppose the recall in California.
— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) March 8, 2021
"Right-wing Republicans in CA are trying to recall [Gavin Newsom] for the crime of telling people to wear masks and for listening to scientists during COVID," Sanders wrote.
"Extremist Republicans have done enough to undermine democracy already," the tweet continued. "We must all unite to oppose the recall in California."
Sander's comments come as the recall effort against Newsom reaches a critical point.
Over the weekend, the Recall Newsom campaign held a rally at the California State Capitol and announced they had collected enough signatures to put the recall on a state ballot.
The group said they had 1,950,000 signatures, but the number still needs to be validated by the secretary of state's office
"It's not just about recalling Gavin Newsom, it's about making the change in the way that California is run now and needs to be run in the future," said Mike Netter with the recall effort.
A comment from a Newsom spokesperson echoed Sander's tweet.
"The Republican recall scheme is a transparently partisan attempt to install a Trump supporter as governor of a state that elected Newsom and rejected Trump in historic landslides," the statement read, in part.
Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, one of the Republicans who said he'll be running against Newsom in either a recall or the 2022 election, shot back at Sanders' tweet.
Gavin Newsom has been doing the opposite of listening to scientists. He's closed public schools while private schools remain open, and shuttered countless businesses permanently.
— Kevin Faulconer (@Kevin_Faulconer) March 8, 2021
This recall isn't about Republicans and Democrats, it's about what's best for California. https://t.co/NxeHCEhVr3
"Gavin Newsom has been doing the opposite of listening to scientists," Faulconer wrote.
The recall campaign has a March 17 deadline to submit signatures.