Gavin Newsom’s Previously Hidden Calendars Reveal 18 Weekdays With ‘No Official Business’
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s official calendars are raising new questions about how he spends his time after records obtained following a legal fight revealed numerous weekdays with no official business listed and dozens of blocks containing little explanation about what the governor was doing.
The calendars covering the first four months of 2025 were obtained by the California Post after Newsom’s office initially resisted releasing them. The publication ultimately hired attorneys and threatened legal action before receiving the records.
According to the calendars, 18 weekdays during that four-month period were marked “No official business.” Another 53 blocks of time were simply labeled “work time,” providing little information about what activities Newsom was conducting during those periods.
The records also indicate that Newsom frequently began his publicly documented schedule after 9 a.m. and finished before 5 p.m. On some days, his calendar contained only a small number of official meetings or events despite his position overseeing the nation’s most populous state.
The revelations have attracted additional scrutiny because Newsom ordered tens of thousands of California state employees to return to their offices four days per week beginning in July. Critics are questioning why rank-and-file government workers face strict in-person work requirements while the governor’s own calendars contain numerous days without documented official business.
Newsom’s office has pushed back against the criticism, arguing that official calendars do not capture everything a governor does. A spokesman said Newsom regularly conducts calls, reviews legislation and handles other government responsibilities that may not appear as individually scheduled events.
The governor’s office has also argued that Newsom is effectively working around the clock because emergencies and major state issues can require his attention at any time. Officials maintain that interpreting empty portions of his calendar as evidence that he was not working provides an incomplete picture of his responsibilities.
Questions surrounding Newsom’s schedule come as the California Democrat continues expanding his national political presence. He has traveled around the country to campaign for Democratic candidates, raise money and participate in political events as speculation continues about a possible 2028 presidential campaign.
Newsom has also been increasingly willing to engage President Trump and other Republicans in national political fights, while simultaneously attempting to position himself as one of the Democratic Party’s most prominent leaders heading toward the next presidential election.
The newly released calendars do not prove Newsom was taking time off whenever his schedule showed no official business. But after the legal battle required to obtain the records, the large number of blank or vaguely described periods is providing fresh ammunition to critics questioning the governor’s transparency and work schedule as he increasingly focuses attention on national politics.