Ultra-progressive California Governor Gavin Newsom is in Las Vegas ahead of the Super Bowl and is spending his time in Sin City rubbing shoulders with billionaires and Tom Brady, as speculation mounts that Joe Biden will resign.
On Friday, Newsom, 56, was a surprise guest at billionaire Fanatics Michael Rubin’s Hot 100 luncheon at LAVO, a posh restaurant at the exclusive Palazzo hotel.
The restaurant, which bills itself as offering ‘authentic Italian flavors and unforgettable experiences’, specializes in seafood, including a splendid $225 ‘plateau grande’ that comes with whole lobster and kaluga caviar.
Other specialties include a $99 ribeye, $57 lobster and scallop linguine, $72 rack of beef and $54 grilled Chilean sea bass.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is pictured with San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York in Las Vegas on Saturday night as the couple attended a Super Bowl party.
Newsom is seen here with comedian Kevin Hart. Recent speculation about Joe Biden’s fitness for office has sparked speculation that the California governor could try to become the Democratic nominee for president.
While I was having lunch, Newsom’s office issued a statement announcing a crackdown on crime in Oakland, a city plagued by robberies and auto thefts, and which has seen an exodus of businesses as a result.
Cynics believe Newsom is planning a run for president and know he needs to crack down on lawlessness in California if he is to be trusted to govern the country.
Newsom was also expected to attend Rubin’s big Fanatics Super Bowl party at the Cosmopolitan hotel today.
A source told DailyMail.com of the California Governor: ‘He’s friends with Michael. He should be here at some point.
His weekend with the agitators comes as Biden, 81, faces new claims that he is too old to govern, after a special counsel report on classified documents called him a senile old man with memory problems.
If Biden decides not to run in the November election, Newsom is seen as a strong potential contender for the Democratic nomination.
Along with Brady, Newsom was joined at the Marquee Day Club by Kevin Hart, Gabrielle Union, Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh Sperry Teller.
Rapper Travis Scott was also at the party, as were Odell Beckham Jr, Ludacris, A$AP Ferg and Russell Wilson accompanied by Ciara.
Newsom smiles for a photo with sportscaster Rich Eisen. He has insisted that he has no plans to run for president, although with mounting pressure on Biden to resign, his circumstances could change.
The luncheon Newsom attended featured an even more impressive guest list: Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, and MLB Deputy Commissioner all present at the event.
NFL and NBA owners also attended, including Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, 49ers owner Jed York and Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck.
Newsom is known for his expensive taste and was subject to a recall petition after being photographed eating without a mask at French Laundry, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Napa Valley in the summer of 2020.
Covid rules prohibiting large gatherings and saying diners had to replace their masks between bites were in effect at the time.
But it’s California’s homelessness crisis, rising crime rates and rising fentanyl deaths that have drawn the most criticism.
Despite years of residents calling for a solution to the crisis, progress has been painfully slow. In November, San Francisco briefly cleaned up its act during the APEC conference, which Newsom described as “cleaning house” when someone comes to visit, comments that drew widespread criticism.
Last week, Newsom humiliated Oakland District Attorney Pamela Price, pictured, by sending state prosecutors to try to clean up the crime-ridden city. His behavior led political pundits to think that he is plotting a big move and that he knows he needs to solve California’s crime problem if he wants to be trusted with higher office.
The City by the Bay has since returned to its recent form, with DailyMail.com reporters noting miserable conditions in the run-up to the Super Bowl earlier this week; among them the now familiar open drug use and tent-lined streets.
In response to the crisis, the Governor of California has begun taking steps to resolve the problem and yesterday announced a crackdown on crime in Oakland, in a statement issued while enjoying his lavish lunch.
The announcement said it would send 150 California Highway Patrol officers to Oakland to help the city’s police department deal with a recent explosion in crime.
“One arrest is not enough,” he added in a statement. ‘Justice demands that suspects be properly prosecuted.
“Whether it’s carjacking or burglary, attempted murder or fentanyl trafficking, people must be held accountable for their crimes using the full appropriate weight of the law.”
The rise in crime has largely been attributed to Oakland Prosecutor Pamela Price, whose liberal approach to law and order includes lower prison sentences to increase “fairness” in the city.
“As everyone knows, the governor’s office along with the attorney general announced that we are forming a partnership with them to address some of the criminal activity that has been occurring in Alameda County, particularly in Oakland,” Price said following the announcement Newsom.
“We appreciate that the governor, along with the attorney general, has agreed to provide additional resources for the prosecution of violent crimes, as well as primarily narcotics and auto theft activities.”