California Governor Gavin Newsom made a surprising stop during his recent visit to the conservative state of Idaho.
Newsom took the opportunity to celebrate a local bookstore that claims to sell "banned" books.
In a tweet on Sunday, Newsom highlighted the issue of book bans, stating, "Book bans are at a record high there have been over 1,200 challenges in the last year, nearly double the (then-record) total from 2021." The tweet included a video of his visit to Rediscovered Books in Boise.
During his visit, Newsom was seen browsing through the store and was captured on camera with a bumper sticker that read, "Stick it to the ban.
Read banned books." He also shared an image of a sign that said, "Read these banned books." The video showcased the efforts of the bookstore owners to push back against what they perceive as an alarming trend of book bans across the country.
According to a report from April, nearly 1,500 books were "banned" in the first half of the 2022-2023 school year, with conservatives leading the charge against what they view as attempts to indoctrinate children with books on race, racism, and LGBTQ ideology.
These book bans typically involve the removal of sexually explicit material from public school libraries or restrictions on access for older students. The majority of these bans have been observed in conservative, or "red," states.
Newsom, who has been a vocal critic of book bans, visited Idaho as part of his campaign for President Biden. This visit is just one of many instances where Newsom has traveled to red states to share his liberal message.
Many Americans see this as a reflection of the political climate in California, which has led to an exodus of residents seeking alternative living arrangements.
While Newsom has been actively campaigning for President Biden, there is speculation that he may have his own presidential aspirations for the 2024 race.
Polls have indicated that a majority of Americans, including Democrats, do not want Biden to run for a second term.
Newsom's future plans remain uncertain, but he recently expressed his confidence in Biden's leadership during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity.
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