Gov. Gavin Newsom’s breezy work calendars have ignited fresh criticism as he remained out of state Monday while barnstorming for Michigan Democrats — and perhaps himself.
Earlier in the day, the California Post revealed the governor’s secretive calendars listed “no official business” for nearly four weeks in the first several months of the year. The surprisingly light work schedule, which often started after 9am and wrapped before 5 pm, has cast a blistering spotlight on Newsom’s numerous out-of-state trips.
The governor’s political team altruistically framed the most recent trip to Michigan as part of Newsom’s effort to help Democrats retake power in Washington and stop President Trump.
But critics have called his jetsetting excessive and suggested Newsom’s activities look less like a governor at work and more like an early 2028 presidential campaign.
Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for California governor in the November runoff, called Newsom’s light schedule and frequent trips “a massive insult to every Californian.”
“For years now, we have a checked out governor whose only interest is his own presidential ambitions,” Hilton said.
“No wonder our economy is collapsing into a complete disaster, businesses are leaving, people are leaving, the highest unemployment and poverty rate in the country — homelessness going from disastrous to even worse.”
Hilton added that California has the highest taxes in the country but continues to get the “worst results.”
“Instead of trying to fix these problems, this guy is running around sucking up to the far left in a desperate bid to revive his flagging campaign for president.”
The Michigan trip even drew a jab from Democratic political consultant Steve Maviglio, who dunked on a member of Newsom’s political team after they crowed over receiving 1 million social media views from “creators & digital-first independent media.”
“Now only if @CAGovernor cared as much about addressing homelessness, the housing crisis, budget deficits as they do about clicks…” Maviglio wrote on X.
The criticism comes on the heels of a California Post investigation revealing Newsom’s official calendars listed zero government business on 18 non-holiday weekdays during the first four months of 2026. The calendars also showed Newsom jetsetting across the globe to hobnob with world leaders while also courting vanity pieces for him and his wife from national media outlets.
Over the weekend, Newsom traveled to Michigan — a critical battleground state — for a multiday campaign swing, meeting with Democratic leaders, activists and Black faith leaders, and stumping for candidates hoping to flip seats in the Michigan House.
On Monday, Newsom was set to meet with Abdul El-Sayed, the progressive firebrand who won a narrow Democratic primary for one of the state’s US Senate seats.
Lance Christensen, vice president of the California Policy Center, was one of many to take a swipe at the trip on social media.
“Governor Newsom’s taxpayer-paid staff is now promoting his campaign activities for President in Michigan,” Christensen wrote.
“I didn’t know he was the governor of Michigan.”
Newsom’s office has argued the calendars only reflect meetings scheduled in advance and are not a complete record of the governor’s activities.
“We don’t respond to irrelevant attacks from an irrelevant California Republican Party or random people suffering from Newsom Derangement Syndrome,” said Izzy Gardon, Newsom’s spokesperson, in a statement.
“The Governor is doing his job — while fighting for Californias by helping to elect a Democratic majority that can stop Donald Trump’s madness.”
Nevertheless, Newsom has found plenty of time for travel, including trips this year to Davos, Munich and London, along with numerous stops around the country promoting his memoir.
Nick Poche, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, scoffed at Newsom’s self-portrayal in Michigan, where he has given speeches and interviews casting himself as an underdog, anti-establishment Democrat.
“Newsom is a pay-to-play corporate globalist hack who’s been like a slow-motion car crash as governor,” Poche told The Post.
“Every time a Democrat is foolish enough to invite Newsom’s far-left record of failure into their race, it only reinforces how out of touch he is with voters.”
Newsom, who terms out of office in January, has not formally announced a 2028 presidential campaign. Officials for the governor did not respond to a request for comment on Newsom’s latest adventures.
