Recently, California Governor Gavin Newsom witnessed firsthand the lawlessness and rampant crime that has plagued his state while visiting a Target.  As the governor was checking out, he observed an individual exiting the store without paying for merchandise.

Newsom proceeded to question an employee as to why the shoplifter wasn’t being stopped.  The Target employee answered by blaming the governor’s leadership for a rise in criminal activity, not realizing that she was speaking directly to Newsom.

Gov. Newsom recounted the experience during a virtual webinar about mental health.  Footage of the Zoom call was shared to X by Gabriel Lorenzo Greschler, who wrote in his caption,  “In a Zoom call about a mental health proposition, Gov. Gavin Newsom says he was at a Target and saw someone walk out without paying. He asked a worker why the person steals and they blamed the Governor before looking at him twice and recognizing him. “I was like, why I am spending $380 and everyone can walk the hell right out.”

During the meeting, Newsom described the event, stating, “Sir, you dropped this and he comes back, picks it up. And he’s walking out. As we’re checking out, the woman says, Oh, he’s just walking out. And I say, Why aren’t you stopping?”

“She goes, Oh, the governor. Swear to God, true story. On my mom’s grave. The governor lowered the threshold. There’s, there’s no there’s no accountability. I said, that’s just not true. I said, we have the 10th tenth toughest, 950 dollars, the tenth toughest in America,” he continued.

She didn’t know what I was talking about. by the way, the tenth toughest in America look it up…. And I said it’s just not true. If they’re still stopped to say, well, we don’t stop them because the governor and then she goes, she looks at me twice and then she freaks out and calls everyone over wants to take photos. I’m like, No, I’m not taking a photos we’re having a conversation with your manager. Are you blaming the governor? And it was $380 later, and I was like, why am I spending $380 Everyone can walk the hell right out.”

Despite Newsom downplaying the impacts of the state’s policies on crime, business owners in California have criticized their elected officials blaming them as they are continually victimized by criminal activity.As California’s crime continues to worsen, some businesses are outright closing their doors.  For example, the American Tribune recently reported on the first-ever store closure of an In-N-Out, a critically acclaimed California burger joint. The restaurant announced it could no longer operate in an East Oakland location due to rampant criminal activity, creating unsafe conditions for customers and employees.

“We have made the decision to close our In-N-Out Burger location in Oakland, California, due to ongoing issues with crime. Despite taking repeated steps to create safer conditions, our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies. Our last day of business in Oakland will be Sunday, March 24, 2024,” an executive from the company stated.