Larry Elder tells 'Fox & Friends' why he's running for CA governor: 'Smug' Gavin Newsom has to be recalled

Conservative radio host Larry Elder is throwing his hat in the ring for California’s gubernatorial race, citing his name recognition and history of communicating with residents as a signifier of his ability to defeat Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom in September. 

During an appearance on "Fox & Friends," Elder slammed Newsom for his restrictive coronavirus mandates, which he subsequently violated during a dinner at the exclusive French Laundry restaurant to the outrage of many.

"Gavin Newsom has been smug in mandating all these coronavirus restrictions—the most severe restrictions in the whole country—while he violated them," Elder said.

CONSERVATIVE RADIO HOST LARRY ELDER JOINS GAVIN NEWSOM RECALL RACE: 'WE'VE GOT A STATE TO SAVE'

Elder said that it wasn’t just the fact that Newsom was eating at a luxurious restaurant at the taxpayers’ expense that drove people into a frenzy, but rather the fact that he was dining with the very lobbyists and medical professionals that drafted the mandates they violated in the first place. 

"Kids lost a whole year of education, crime is going up, homelessness is going up, the cost of living is insane, for the first time in the state’s history more people have left California than have come," said Elder.

"Something has got to happen—we need to recall this guy."

Elder also blasted Newsom for what he described as the "deterioration" of K-12 learning in public schools and said school choice would be one of his major agenda items going forward.  

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"75% of Black kids in California cannot read at state-level proficiency. 50% of all kids in California in public schools cannot read at state-level proficiency—yet the teacher’s union is [Newsom’s] biggest contributor and they hate, hate, hate school choice," asserted Elder. 

"Well, I support, support, support school choice.