Podcaster Shawn Ryan had a viral moment last year when he gave California Gov. Gavin Newsom a Sig Sauer P365 during an interview. As I wrote at the time, I wasn't all that impressed with Ryan's questioning of the governor, or at least his willingness to allow Newsom to avoid any substantive response to Ryan's queries about California's gun control regime, but giving Newsom a gun was, as it turns out, some of the best marketing Ryan's ever done. In a day and age where the average life of a news story can be measured in minutes, Ryan's present is still making headlines almost eight months later.
On Monday, Newsom filed his mandatory state ethics paperwork, which requires him to disclose his sources of income, sponsored travel and the gifts he received last year.
Newsom listed a pistol from the SIG Sauer gun company among the wine, swag bags, San Francisco 49er and NBA All Star Game tickets as well as $21,585 in sponsored travel to Brazil for a climate-change summit.
In the comments below the gun disclosure, it reads, “Governor Newsom reimbursed SIG Sauer for the amount exceeding $600; currently held by (a) licensed firearm dealer, and not in the Governor’s possession.”Under the state’s ethics rules, a politician in California may only accept a gift worth less than $630, so Newsom had to pay the balance on the weapon’s total value. The gun retails for around $700.
If Newsom listed the pistol on his paperwork and paid Sig Sauer in order to remain in compliance with California ethics laws, then presumably he does plan on taking possession at some point. Eight months, though, is a long time to leave a gun transfer in limbo, even for a guy as busy as Newsom. So what's going on?
It’s entirely possible Newsom just hasn’t prioritized taking the time to get his new gun, but Second Amendment advocates say it’s just as likely the very barriers to California gun ownership Newsom has supported are making the process difficult for him.
... In order to take the gun home, Newsom would first have to jump through a number of regulatory hoops that would take time out of his busy schedule governing the state as well as traveling around the country and the globe, boosting his profile for a potential presidential run.
First, he’d have to arrange to have the gun shipped to a licensed firearms dealer in California. Then Newsom would have to pass a background check, provide his thumb prints, take a handgun safety test, sign affidavits, provide a driver’s license and documents that contain his name and address, such as a current utility bill. Newsom would also have to pay around $300 in fees and taxes on the $700 gun.
He’d have to do everything himself, as gun owners need to appear in person to do the paperwork. He’d then need to make a return trip after fulfilling California’s 10-day waiting period to sign for and pick up his new firearm.
It could be that Newsom has just been too busy to go through all of the rigamarole that Californians are subjected to before they can exercise his Second Amendment rights. Clearly, though, it's not much of a personal priority for him, or else he would have jumped through all of the hoops and over the hurdles he and his fellow Democrats have imposed on would-be gun owners long before now. And why would it be, honestly? Newsom's got a state-supplied security team to protect him, and they get to ignore every gun-free zone in the country, so he's got armed protection even in "sensitive places" where average schmoes like us are disarmed. He doesn't need to carry a gun for self-defense, and I don't think I've ever heard him express a desire to own or use a gun for any other lawful purpose (or for self-defense, for that matter).
Could Newsom simply be waiting for the most politically opportune moment to complete his transfer and take possession of the pistol? If and when Newsom does complete the transfer, he and his press team could easily make it a big news story. Wouldn't it be better for him to wait until he's closer to declaring his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028? That would explain why Newsom has taken steps to take possession of the pistol at some point in the future, but hasn't done anything to actually start the transfer process since Ryan gifted him the gun last July.
I guess we'll have to wait and see if Gavin ever does get his gun, but if that transfer ever does take place I have no doubt the Sig P365 Shawn Ryan gave him will primarily be used as a political prop and not for personal defense.
