Republicans slam Gavin Newsom as ‘delusional’ as he travels to China

Republicans are slamming California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom for traveling to China this week on a single-issue mission to discuss climate change – arguing he should also bring up human rights abuses and fentanyl production. Ahead of Newsom’s trip, which kicked off Monday in Hong Kong, eight California GOP House members signed a letter Friday telling Newsom to cancel it. That effort was led by Rep. Young Kim, while Reps. Kevin McCarthy, Ken Calvert, Darrell Issa, Doug LaMalfa, David Valadao, Mike Garcia, Michelle Steel, Jay Obernolte, Kevin Kiley and John Duarte signed.

‘Government. Newsom’s attempt to align himself with the Chinese Communist Party is a delusion,” Steel told Politico, adding that Newsom “should be concerned about the (Chinese Communist Party’s) control of critical mineral supplies while he is preparing to ban gasoline-powered cars by 2035.” Newsom — who issued a shaky denial last month when questioned about presidential ambitions for 2024 — continued his travels, which began Friday in Israel before heading to Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and the provinces of Guangdong and Jiangsu left.

On Monday in Hong Kong, Newsom told reporters that he had seen a video showing the beheaded Israeli victims of Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7 terrorist attack. As for the mainland China portion, Newsom has said he will make climate change a focus of the trip because that is an area where California and China could work together even if there is a party change in the White House.

The leading Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, has in the past called climate change a “hoax” invented by the Chinese – so that the US would cut its emissions and become less of an economic threat to China. During his four years as president, he rolled back all kinds of climate and environmental regulations and withdrew the United States from the Paris climate agreement. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, the chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, argued that Newsom’s trip gives China the upper hand again.

She told Politico that Newsom’s focus “is not on addressing climate issues, but instead ceding America’s energy and emissions reductions to the CCP.” That, she argued, will give China “greater control over our energy future.” Newsom has said he will not go beyond climate change in his talks with the Chinese because other issues are “federal” in nature.

The group of California Republicans hammered Newsom on this excuse. “Federalism should not be an excuse for you to avoid difficult conversations about the Communist Chinese Party’s gross human rights violations and documented genocide of ethnic minorities,” their letter said. “Additionally, your trip should also serve as an opportunity to demand that CCP officials take action to prevent PRC-originated fentanyl precursors from entering the US.”

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