Newsom ripped for canceling California tree lighting over anti-Israel protests

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing criticism for canceling the annual tree lighting ceremony over potential anti-Israel protests, with critics calling him out for not standing up to the pro-Hamas protesters. 

California GOP Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson addressed the cancelation during "FOX & Friends First" on Thursday, arguing no one should be "surprised" over the move based on the governor's record on COVID and prior refusal to condemn the "terrorist protesters."

"As the governor that kept kids on Zoom school for longer than any other state in the nation, we shouldn't really be surprised that he wanted to move this to a virtual tree lighting ceremony," Patterson told Carley Shimkus Thursday. "This is a tradition that dates back to the 1930s, and it's also not the first time that Gavin Newsom had a hard time standing up to pro-Hamas terrorist protesters."

According to KCRA, Wednesday's 92nd Annual California State Capitol Tree Lighting was initially expected to be an in-person event in Sacramento, but a decision was made to make the event virtual because of planned protests. A pre-recorded virtual ceremony was released on Wednesday showing Newsom and his family watching as the tree lit up.