Comedian Adam Carolla surprised Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom with a COVID inquiry on Thursday during a NewsNation panel discussion prior to the initial 2024 presidential debate.

Newsom gained attention for traveling to Mexico with his family after implementing an executive order in November 2021 to prolong his state’s COVID-19 emergency regulations that were initially put in place in March 2020. Carolla took a direct approach when he unexpectedly questioned the California governor about his COVID-19 pandemic directives.

“Governor, why did you shut the beaches in California during COVID?” Carolla asked.

“Yeah, I think we all were working on information at the time,” Newsom said. “Uh, we had no basis of deeply understanding, uh, the virus. I think—”

“So, you didn’t know anything. So why did you shut the beaches?” Carolla interrupted as Newsom continued to talk.

“— I think they did the same thing, the same thing in other states like Florida,” Newsom continued.

“If you didn’t know anything, then why did you shut the beaches?” Carolla asked.

“Well, we didn’t know that because people were concerned early in the pandemic,” Newsom said. “Information was coming out as relating to how it was transferred, uh, the disease. People were cautious. Trying to keep people alive. And I should say this—”

“You didn’t let them go in the sunshine and get Vitamin D and exercise. So, you shouldn’t have shut the beaches, okay,” Carolla interjected. “And you arrested a guy who was paddle-boarding on the bay.”

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