Gavin Newsom sipped wine at Napa fundraiser while anti-ICE protesters plunged LA into chaos
California Gov. Gavin Newsom threw on a pair of sunglasses and sipped wine at a ritzy charity event at his sun-drenched vineyard earlier this month – just as chaotic, anti-ICE protests kicked off in Los Angeles.
The luxe event dubbed “Vineyard Vibes” was held at the Odette Estate Winery in Napa Valley to raise money for the PlumpJack Foundation, founded by Newsom’s sister, on the afternoon of June 7.
One witness was appalled that the Democrat was casually enjoying a glass of vino in a V-neck T-shirt and baseball cap the day after his City of Angels started spiraling into violence, with rioters throwing concrete rocks at cops and vandalizing federal buildings.
“I couldn’t believe it,” said the source, who photographed Newsom at the wine-tasting event.
“He was just walking around like this was an everyday occurrence.”
But more than 400 miles away, downtown Los Angeles was plunged into chaos the same day – rioters were busted for tossing Molotov cocktails at law enforcement while vehicles were set on fire and scrawled with graffiti reading “KILL ICE” and “F–K ICE.”
The violence, spurred by raids on illegal immigrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, reached a point that President Trump called in the National Guard over objections from Newsom, who ripped into the Republican for inflaming the situation.
Newsom attended the wine fundraiser for at least 90 minutes, the source said — with Trump sending in the troops later that evening.
The event featured “contemporary yet sophisticated” wines, live jazz music and local sources pizza and smash burgers.
“It’s the perfect kick-off to summer fun,” promotional language stated.
“The fete will take place on the Winery Crushpad, where we’ll gather for music, food, conversation, a delicious wine!”
A spokesperson for the governor’s office made clear Newsom “proudly attended” the annual fundraiser for the UCSF Cancer Center “in honor of his mother who died of breast cancer” at age 55.
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PlumpJack Foundation is focused on cancer prevention and education and combating the cycle of poverty, according to its website.
Newsom co-founded Odette Estate Winery with two other business partners more than a decade ago.
Newsom, a possible contender to run for president in 2028, has faced past criticism for being out of touch, including in November 2020 when he was caught attending a swanky dinner party for 12 even as he encouraged California residents not to socialize because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A photo snapped at the time showed him and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, unmasked around the same time he pushed for state guidelines meant to suppress the spread of the disease.
Newsom apologized for the shocking display of hypocrisy as he faced a firestorm.
“While the First Partner and I followed the restaurant’s health protocols and took safety precautions, I should have modeled better behavior and not joined the dinner,” he said in a statement.
Newsom and Trump have been battling in court over the commander in chief’s authority to control National Guard troops he sent to the liberal West Coast city.
Newsom claimed the deployment wasted resources and raised the temperature while Trump insisted he had to take the action to restore order.
