California Governor Gavin Newsom on lockdown protests, state of pandemic California Governor Gavin Newsom said it was "unrealistic" to think life as we knew it before the coronavirus pandemic would be back to normal anytime soon. He said he empathized with the frustration of state residents who are protesting his stay-at-home order, but urged them to think of their loved ones and others amid their fatigue with the precautions. He speaks to Tony Dokoupil in an exclusive interview on how the pandemic is playing out in his state.