California Gov. Newsom: ‘Not Convinced We’ve Learned the Lessons’ From Covid’

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he doesn't think the U.S. has "learned the lessons" from the COVID-19 pandemic in an interview that aired on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday.

"We are a resilient country, so it wouldn't break us," Newsom said when asked if the country could handle another pandemic. "But I'm not convinced we've learned the lessons from the last one."

Reflecting on his time as governor during the pandemic, Newsom said there are "so many things we could have done differently," naming vaccine distribution and prioritization as one area warranting further reflection. The California governor stressed the outsized impact the pandemic had on the health industry and scientists, who urged compliance with public health mandates and vaccinations that quickly became polarizing.

"I think science took a big hit," Newsom said. "That's alarming and it should be alarming to all of us that all the sudden health became partisan."

Newsom discussed the pandemic as part of a wide-ranging interview that also covered the 2024 election and his political future.