California’s ultra-progressive Governor Gavin Newsom is in Las Vegas ahead of the Super Bowl, spending his time in Sin City with billionaires and Tom Brady, as speculation mounts that Joe Biden will resign.
On Friday, Newsom, 56, was a surprise guest at Fanatics billionaire Michael Rubin’s Hot 100 luncheon at LAVO – a swanky restaurant in the posh Palazzo hotel.
The restaurant, which bills itself as offering “authentic Italian flavors and unforgettable experiences,” specializes in seafood – including a lavish $225 “plateau grande” that includes a whole lobster and kaluga caviar.
Other specials include a $99 ribeye, a $57 lobster and scallop linguine, a $72 rack of veal and a $54 roasted Chilean sea bass.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is pictured with San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York in Las Vegas on Saturday evening as the pair attended a Super Bowl party
Newsom is seen here with comedian Kevin Hart. Recent speculation about Joe Biden’s suitability for office has led to speculation that the California governor could try to become the Democratic nominee for president.
While he was having lunch, Newsom’s office released a statement announcing a crackdown on crime in Oakland — a city plagued by carjackings and thefts, and which is seeing an exodus of businesses as a result has known.
Cynics believe Newsom is plotting a run for president — and know he must crack down on lawlessness in California if he wants the confidence to run the country.
Newsom was also expected to attend Rubin’s huge Fanatics Super Bowl party at the Cosmopolitan hotel today.
A source told DailyMail.com about the California governor: “He is friends with Michael. He should be here someday.”
His weekend of movers-and-shakers comes as Biden, 81, faces new claims that he is too old to govern after a special advisory report in classified documents labeled him a senile old man with memory problems.
If Biden chooses not to run in the November election, Newsom is seen as a strong possible candidate for the Democratic nomination.
Along with Brady, Newsom was joined at the Marquee Day Club by Kevin Hart, Gabrielle Union, Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh Sperry Teller.
Rapper Travis Scott was also at the party, as were Odell Beckham Jr, Ludacris, A$AP Ferg and Russell Wilson accompanied by Ciara.
Newsom smiles for a photo with sportscaster Rich Eisen. He has insisted he has no plans to run for president – although his circumstances could change with mounting pressure on Biden to resign.
The luncheon Newsom attended had an even more impressive guest list, with Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and MLB Deputy Commissioner all in attendance at the event.
NFL and NBA owners were also in attendance, including Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, 49ers owner Jed York and Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck.
Newsom is known for his expensive tastes — and was subject to a recall petition after he was photographed eating without a mask at the French Laundry, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Napa Valley, in the summer of 2020.
Covid rules banning large gatherings and telling guests to change their masks between bites were all in place at the time.
But it’s California’s homelessness crisis, rising crime rates and rising fentanyl deaths that are drawing him the most criticism.
Despite residents calling for years to resolve the crisis, progress has been painfully slow. In November, San Francisco briefly cleaned up its act at the APEC conference, which Newsom described as “cleaning house” when someone comes to visit — comments that earned him wide panning.
Last week, Newsom humiliated Oakland’s woke district attorney, Pamela Price, pictured, by sending prosecutors to try to clean up the crime-ridden city. His behavior led political pundits to think he is plotting a big move — and that he knows he must solve California’s crime problem if he can be trusted in higher office.
Since then, the City by the Bay has returned to recent form, with DailyMail.com reporters noting dire conditions in the lead-up to the Super Bowl earlier this week; including the now well known open drug use and tent filled streets.
In response to the crisis, California’s governor has begun taking steps to solve the problem and yesterday announced a crackdown on crime in Oakland – in a statement released as he enjoyed his luxury lunch.
The announcement said he would send 150 California Highway Patrol troopers to Oakland to help the city’s police department deal with a recent explosion in crime.
“An arrest is not enough,” he added in a statement. ‘Justice demands that suspects are prosecuted appropriately.
“Whether it is bipping or carjacking, attempted murder or fentanyl trafficking, individuals must be held accountable for their crimes to the full and appropriate weight of the law.”
The increase in crime is largely due to Oakland Prosecutor Pamela Price, whose liberal approach to law and order includes lower prison sentences to increase “justice” in the city.
“As you all know, the Governor’s office along with the Attorney General has announced that we are partnering with them to address some of the crime activity taking place in Alameda County, particularly Oakland,” Price said in the aftermath of Newsom’s announcement.
“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 crimes.”