Gavin Newsom curiously lays low as FBI investigates him and his wife

Gov. Gavin Newsom has traded press conferences for polished videos after announcing last month that he and his wife are under FBI investigation, fueling questions about his increasingly controlled public appearances.

The media savvy and gel-shellacked California governor — known for seeking out TV cameras and soliloquizing ad infinitum — has kept a noticeably lower profile since June 15, when he disclosed the Justice Department investigations in a pre-recorded video blasted out on social media.

Instead of the freewheeling press conferences, bill signings and public events that have defined much of his governorship, Newsom has increasingly relied on carefully scripted videos and staged appearances where there is no opportunity for the media to ask questions.

“Newsom certainly isn’t the only politician to use digital media to establish absolute message control,” said Dan Schnur, a professor of political communications at USC and UC Berkeley.

“But he may be one of the most aggressive officeholders in the way he uses these tools.”

In the videos posted June 15, Newsom said President Trump’s Justice Department was targeting him and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom as part of a politically motivated “fishing expedition.”

Since then, the governor has offered no substantive update on the federal investigation and has largely avoided discussing his former chief of staff Dana Williamson, who is scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 17 after pleading guilty in a corruption scheme.

“I’m not sure I’d be all that excited about him answering questions about that,” Schnur said. “Even if, as he claims, he is completely unaware of any of this activity, there is no good sound bite on this topic that can possibly come out of an interview or news conference.”

The governor’s public appearances have instead largely consisted of highly produced videos released through his office and social media accounts.

On Independence Day, Newsom released an eight-minute video filmed inside the Governor’s Mansion featuring multiple camera angles, cinematic lighting and polished editing.

Rather than delivering a traditional Fourth of July message, the governor used much of the speech to attack Trump, calling him “corrupt and unstable” and accusing the president of trying to undermine American democracy. Newsom also unveiled a proposal to make it a felony to seize ballots before election results are certified.

The eight-minute address included no audience, no reporters and no questions — only Newsom speaking directly to the camera. The version posted to YouTube also had comments disabled.

Days earlier, Newsom appeared in another self-produced video touring the set of Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee’s upcoming film “Gold Mountain,” using the visit to promote California’s expanded film and television tax credit program. 

The shift is notable for a governor who has routinely held media availabilities on everything from wildfires and homelessness to the state budget and his ongoing political clashes with Republican leaders. Even routine policy announcements have included opportunities for reporters to question the governor on unrelated issues.

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Schnur said Newsom’s dual role as governor and likely presidential contender gives him a unique advantage.

“Newsom has two jobs: he’s the governor, and he’s a potential presidential candidate,” Schnur said.

“Sitting governors can do this because they know a video that they post online will get news coverage and public attention. Presidential candidates don’t have that luxury. They have to engage with voters and reporters.”

Newsom’s office did not respond to an email seeking comment on whether the governor has intentionally reduced his live press appearances or whether the federal investigation has altered his public schedule.

“It may be that Newsom is hoping that these stories will become old news by the time reporters get another crack at them,” Schnur said.