A seemingly awkward video from California Gov. Gavin Newsom's visit to the New College of Florida last week is making the rounds on social media.
Newsom's behavior in the video – which shows the governor clapping along in silence as faculty members and students at the liberal arts college offer their rendition of the religious song "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" – garnered attention on social media, with some of his detractors pointing out the awkwardness of the situation during his visit to Sarasota.
Christopher Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing writer for City Journal, was quick to point out Newsom's appearance and mannerisms during the video, insisting that he was acting like a "kindergartner" throughout.
"Gavin Newsom booked a room at a public library near New College of Florida, told the audience he was ‘crawling out of my skin for you guys,’ and clapped along to the music like a kindergartner at storytime," Rufo wrote in a tweet, which was accompanied by the footage.
"Serious Patrick Bateman vibes," Rufo added.
Other social media referred to Newsom's behavior in the clip as "cringe."
Responding to the video of Newsom, political podcaster James Lindsay wrote in a tweet: "That's his only vibe."
During his visit to the Sunshine State, Newsom took aim at Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and other politicians for policies he believes negatively impact the American way of life.
The visit was considered a surprise stop on Newsom’s plan to visit several Republican-led states that he previously banned official travel to over the week. During this time, Newsom spoke with about two dozen New College students, faculty and community members at the North Sarasota Public Library in response to DeSantis’ recent appointment of six conservative board members.
Newsom discussed "everything from book bans to alleged infringements on voting rights in his speech before participating in a roundtable discussion with students," according to Florida's Voice.
"I’m crawling out of my skin for you," Newsom said at the event. "I want you to know you're not alone. You matter."
The governor’s attack was not limited to DeSantis’ college appointments but included critiques on DeSantis' conservative policies as well.
"Fifty years of progress, 50 years on voting rights, on civil rights, LGBTQ rights, abortion rights, contraceptive rights, all of that at threat, state after state, led by your state and your governor with a zest for demonization and othering people." Newsom said. "He has one thing that is common with everything he’s doing – bullying and intimidating vulnerable communities. You're not only on the right side of history, you have something he’ll never have – moral authority."
A leading Democrat who is believed by political insiders to have his own aspirations of seeking the White House in the near future, Newsom reportedly told the president himself that he is "all in" on Biden’s re-election.
In an interview with Politico, Newsom sought to tamp down speculation at the time that he may run for the Democratic nomination after what the outlet said was "considerable" irritation from the White House at rumors he was plotting a run to oust Biden.
"I’ve told everyone in the White House, from the chief of staff to the first lady," he said, saying his message is "I’m all in, count me in" on Biden's re-election bid.
Despite his reported commitment to not run against Biden, political strategists, as well as some in the media, believe he may still seek the nomination for president in 2024 as the president's approval continues to fall.
Earlier this week, Newsom offered some political advice for DeSantis during MSNBC's "Inside with Jen Psaki," saying the governor should "pack up and wait a few years" before challenging former President Donald Trump.
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Psaki asked Newsom what DeSantis' political path is going forward and if he should be "running away from criticizing Trump."
"He's going to get rolled by Trump. Trump is just going to roll him. Thumped. I, honestly, if I were offering political advice, I would tell him to pack it up and wait a few years and actually do some of the hard work, which actually includes governing, not just identity and culture war," he responded.
Fox News' Adam Shaw, Lindsay Kornick, and Hanna Panreck contributed to this article.
