California Gov. Gavin Newsom took to Twitter on Monday to condemn Marjorie Taylor Greene’s “murderous” vaccine misinformation.
“Disgraceful? Here’s a word — murderous,” Newsom wrote in reply to Greene’s earlier tweet. “Your anti-vaccine lies are literally killing Americans. Your own supporters are following you off a cliff and into the ICU. Come clean about vaccines – they save lives.”
Newsom’s response followed his critique of “misinformation by right-wing pundits” Monday morning on MSNBC’s “Ayman Mohyeldin Reports,” on which he cited the Georgia Republican congresswoman and Fox News’ Tucker Carlson as part of the group which he cites as responsible for the 25% of California adult residents who remain unvaccinated.
“Time to be a little bit more specific,” Newsom said on the show. “The Ron Johnsons of the world. The Marjorie Taylor Greenes of the world. The Tucker Carlsons of the world. I watch them. I listen. I pay attention. They are misinforming. They are literally putting people’s lives at risk. People are dying because of the misinformation, either knowingly or unknowingly, regardless, time to call it out.”
Following Newsom’s critique, Greene called out Newsom on Twitter for his “communist dictatorship,” citing his vaccine mandate as the reason Newsom will face the gubernatorial recall election this fall.
“.@GavinNewsom you know what is exhausting to the people of California? Your communist dictatorship,” Greene wrote. “Shutting down businesses, closing churches, schools, and beaches is disgraceful. Mandating vaccines against people’s will is unconscionable. Which is why you’re being recalled.”
The Twitter battle comes after Newsom’s push to get more Californians vaccinated while the Delta variant surges in Los Angeles and other parts of the state.
Earlier Monday, Newsom announced in a news conference in Alameda County Monday morning that state employees and health care workers must submit their vaccination cards or be tested routinely beginning next month.
A date for Newsom’s recall election hasn’t yet been set, but it’s expected to take place this fall.