Gavin Newsom Torched Over His ‘Shadow CDC’: Disgraceful Pandemic Redux [WATCH]

California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton sharply criticized Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest public health initiative, accusing the governor of repeating what he described as the most damaging mistakes of the COVID-19 pandemic and signaling plans to pursue accountability if elected.

Hilton reacted to Newsom’s announcement of a new public health structure that Hilton characterized as duplicative of existing federal agencies and staffed by figures involved in California’s strict pandemic-era policies.

Hilton said the move amounts to reviving the same leadership and approaches that he argues caused widespread harm across the state.

“So Gavin Newsom has just announced one of the most disgusting things I’ve seen,” Hilton said.

“He’s setting up, effectively, a shadow CDC, hiring and recycling all these COVID fanatics who did so much damage in the pandemic, like he did the Lord of the French Laundry, imposing the cruelest and most destructive lockdowns in the country.”

Hilton said those policies had long-term consequences for families and businesses throughout California. He accused Newsom of overseeing lockdowns that shuttered small businesses and disrupted education statewide, particularly for children.

“Destroying opportunity for a whole generation of kids, destroying small businesses, all that damage he did,” Hilton said.

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Hilton also accused Newsom of acting out of political self-interest rather than public health concerns.

He claimed the governor’s decisions during the pandemic were influenced by donors and organized labor rather than scientific evidence.

“All for total corrupt reasons, because he wouldn’t stand up to his donors, the teacher unions,” Hilton said.

Hilton said Newsom’s current rhetoric about science and public health stands in direct contrast to his actions during the pandemic.

He pointed to vaccine mandates, job losses, and prolonged school closures as examples of what he described as policies that conflicted with available data.

“And now he’s kind of preaching about being the great defender of science and public health, even though everything he did in the pandemic was totally contradicted by the science and the facts and the data,” Hilton said.

“The vaccine mandates, people losing their jobs because of that, kids couldn’t go to school. Absolutely disgraceful.”

Hilton said the cumulative impact of those decisions continues to affect Californians years later, particularly workers who lost employment and students whose education was disrupted.

He argued that the officials responsible have not been held accountable for the outcomes of their decisions.

He said that would change if he were elected governor.

“When I’m Governor, we will have a COVID Accountability Commission to hold Newsom and all these people accountable for what they did,” Hilton said.

WATCH:

Gavin Newsom’s vaccine mandate was one of the most disgusting things I’ve seen. Thousands lost their jobs. Parents forced to vax their kids.

Now he sets up a Shadow CDC? No! When I’m governor my Covid Accountability Commission will hold him accountable for the covid cruelty. pic.twitter.com/MHdFjjdXD9

— steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) December 28, 2025