Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated the start of his second term Friday, the second anniversary of the attack on the U.S. Capitol, choosing the moment to contrast California’s progressive and inclusive values with what he called the “ugliness that overflowed on January 6.”
Tapping into the symbolism of the day when insurrectionist supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol in 2021, Newsom drew on his family’s Golden State roots to define diametrical visions of America in his inaugural address delivered under cloudy skies near the steps of the California statehouse.
“I hear the echoes of my own family’s story in those that are still coming to California to pursue their dreams, drawn by the myth and magic of this place,” Newsom said. “Whether your family came here for work, or safety, California offered freedom to access it, not contingent on you looking a certain way, talking a certain way, thinking a certain way. And that’s what makes this place so special.”
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