A long-time critic of Gavin Newsom, the California Republican gubernatorial candidate and former Fox News host Steve Hilton, has issued a stark warning to the United Nations climate summit in Belém, Brazil. Hilton's letter to the summit organizers highlights a critical issue: the Democratic governor's alleged 'climate hypocrisy'. According to Hilton, California, under Newsom's leadership, has been importing a significant portion of the crude oil drilled from the Amazon rainforest, contributing to deforestation and the displacement of Indigenous communities. This is despite Newsom's public image as a global climate leader, jetting to international conferences and posing for cameras while his policies bankroll rainforest destruction.
Hilton's concerns are not isolated. Earlier this year, members of California's Democratic-controlled state Senate unanimously called for an investigation into the state's role in funding the Amazonian oil trade. Environmentalists argue that California's actions, such as drilling oil in the South American rainforest, undermine its reputation as a climate leader. Hilton describes Newsom's appearance at the summit as 'political theater', suggesting that the governor's lectures on climate justice ring hollow when his administration promotes the decimation of the Amazon.
The summit, held in the Amazonian city of Belém, is scheduled to include talks and appearances by Newsom. However, Hilton's petition calls on the COP30 to deny the California governor public appearances, arguing that rewarding hypocrisy with a platform would risk the conference's credibility. Newsom's office, in response to Hilton's petition, offered a six-word response, questioning the critic's identity. The summit organizers have yet to respond to Hilton's letter, leaving the future of Newsom's participation in question.
