Gov. Gavin Newsom’s trip to China was many things: It put his skills in climate diplomacy to the test. An opportunity to burnish his political image on the world stage. A demonstration of the dangers of extravagant photography.
The danger unfolded during a visit to a school in Beijing on Friday. Where Newsom pushed the child After tripping while shooting hoops. They both fell to the ground, but quickly got back up. Newsome patted the boy on the back several times, then he hugged him and asked if he was okay.
It was a scary moment for the Democratic governor, but no one was hurt. Newsome, wearing dress shoes, a white shirt and slacks, continued playing with the 9- and 10-year-olds for several more minutes, spinning the basketball between his fingers and swinging it a few times.
The governor’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, then took to the court and took a few shots herself. The Newsoms handed out California-themed pins to the children and visited art classes and the school grounds.
The school visit was intended to highlight Siebel Newsom’s interest in what’s next. Farm to School Program. In California, we are working to include more fresh food in school meals through partnerships with local farms. The visit to the Beijing school was one stop on Newsom’s packed agenda, which will see him visit five cities in seven days and meet with President Xi Jinping.
Many of his events were routine meetings with government officials to discuss economic development and clean energy, an important effort toward his goal of promoting partnerships to stop climate change. However, it was not particularly photogenic. Other events were clearly designed as visual spectacles aimed at boosting Newsom’s image as a leader.
In one case, Newsom’s The agency sent his photo Wearing aviator-style sunglasses, he stands on the Great Wall of China, looking toward the sun with a pensive expression on his face. This charming shot quickly set the internet ablaze with memes of Newsom posing in the same pensive pose with a variety of fake backgrounds. That includes the Oval Office and homeless encampments.
Newsom’s penchant for flashy photos emerged early in his political career, when, as mayor of San Francisco in 2004, he and his then-wife Kimberly Guilfoyle posed for Harper’s Bazaar. Newsom’s arm was wrapped around Guilfoyle’s, who was lying on a plush rug in the wealthy Getty family’s home. This image has persisted as a visual punchline for Newsom’s critics for years.
A picture of Newsom resurfaced this week while he was in China, looking very different from when he was mayor. The mayor of Shanghai began the meeting by showing Newsom a framed photo from a visit to Shanghai in the early 2000s. Newsome was shooting hoops with local students in the schoolyard.
