Gov. Gavin Newsom recalled a store employee chastising him to his face for his policies after the two of them witnessed a brazen theft in California in a leaked video.
video, First shared on X The article, written by a reporter for the San Francisco Standard, showed portions of a Zoom call with Newsom and other California lawmakers.
The governor said the interaction occurred when he was checking out the store and saw the man “just come out” without paying.
Newsom reportedly asked the employee, “Why aren’t you stopping?”
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Governor Gavin Newsom will launch the campaign for Proposition 1 on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at Los Angeles General Medical Center in Los Angeles, California. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Newsom said the store clerk told him he stopped pursuing shoplifters “because of the governor.”
“It’s not the governor’s fault that’s stopping them. He lowered the threshold and there’s no accountability,” Newsom said.
After accusing Newsom of the crime, the worker looked at him again and realized who he was talking to.
“And she looked at me twice, and then she freaked out and called everyone over. She wanted to take a picture,” Newsom told fellow elected officials during a Zoom call.
COSTA MESA, CA – JANUARY 18: California Governor Gavin Newsom announced at a press conference that the former Motel 6 will be converted into apartments and former office space, hotels and other buildings will be used for people experiencing homelessness. Talk about the state’s home key program that converts homes into homes for people. Homeless in Costa Mesa Thursday, January 18, 2024. (Mark Rightmire/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
“And I was like, ‘No, I’m not taking pictures. I’m having a conversation. Where’s the manager?'” the governor said with a laugh. I looked back at them.
“Why blame the governor?” Newsom said.
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Labor blamed the rise in brazen crimes on Newsom’s lowering the “threshold” for serious crimes, but the governor pushed back.
“That’s not true,” Newsom told store employees. “There is a country that is the 10th toughest in America – look it up, no one rates it –”
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom was pressed by late-night show host Seth Meyers about San Francisco’s homelessness crisis. (Late Night with Seth Meyers/Screenshot)
After the exchange, Newsom asked why he had to pay for the item when “anyone” could “just walk out” without facing consequences.
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“I thought, why would anyone spend $380 when they could just walk there?” Newsom said.
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A Newsom spokesperson said in a statement to Fox News Digital that retail theft per capita in California is “17.0% lower than the state average.”
The governor’s office also touted Newsom’s $1.1 billion investment to “fight crime, add police officers, and improve public safety.”
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The location of the store or the date of the incident were not disclosed on the Zoom call.
Newsom’s office declined to provide further details about the incident to Fox News Digital.
FOX News’ Jamie Joseph contributed to this report.
