While far-left rioters torched cars, attacked police, and vandalized public property in Los Angeles, California Governor Gavin Newsom was enjoying a private wine-tasting party in the scenic hills of Napa Valley.
Newsom was far from the chaos unfolding in his own state.
The Democrat governor attended the luxury event just one day after violent riots broke out in Los Angeles in response to immigration enforcement actions.
On June 7, Newsom attended an upscale fundraiser dubbed “Vineyard Vibes” at the Odette Estate Winery, a luxury venue he co-founded.
The event was hosted by the PlumpJack Foundation, run by his sister.
It featured “contemporary yet sophisticated” wines, gourmet food, and live jazz.
Meanwhile, law enforcement officers on the streets of L.A. were being assaulted, and public and private property were being burned to the ground.
According to the City Journal, a source at the event, shocked to see the governor casually strolling the winery grounds.
“I couldn’t believe it,” they said.
“He was just walking around like this was an everyday occurrence.”
The source estimated Newsom spent at least 90 minutes at the party, only retreating indoors once attention mounted.
EXCLUSIVE: California Governor @GavinNewsom attended a luxury wine tasting in Napa while rioters had already begun barricading streets, lighting cars on fire, and attacking law enforcement in Los Angeles.
Newsom was sipping Cabernet while California burned. pic.twitter.com/zogQsjDHQi
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) June 19, 2025
Meanwhile, back in the real world, rioters were hurling bricks, torching vehicles, and taking over streets.
Federal buildings were vandalized.
Police faced waves of violence.
By that evening, President Trump had ordered 2,000 National Guard troops into California to help restore order.
Yet Governor Newsom, instead of visiting first responders, calming tensions, or addressing the crisis, was sipping wine and mingling with wealthy donors.
A spokesperson later claimed Newsom was honoring his late mother and raising money for UCSF’s cancer research.
But for many Californians, the optics were painfully familiar.
This isn’t the first time Newsom has been caught indulging his elite lifestyle while regular citizens suffer.
In November 2020, during the peak of the Covid lockdowns, Newsom dined maskless with political friends at the ultra-luxurious French Laundry restaurant.
Newsom broke his own lockdown rules while banning family gatherings across the state just before Thanksgiving.
He later apologized, saying, “I made a bad mistake.”
But many critics say the real mistake is thinking he’s changed.
The image is now burned in the minds of millions: Newsom sipping Cabernet in wine country while Los Angeles burns.
And with talk of a 2028 presidential run, voters may have to ask: If this is how the governor runs his state, what would President Newsom do?
READ MORE – Gavin Newsom: ‘Trump Is Trying to Destroy Our Democracy’ by Deporting Illegal Aliens
