A 'Victory' for Calif. Governor, Thanks to His Toddler

Moments after he was sworn in as California's 40th governor on Monday, Gavin Newsom began a speech that showed off his familial side. It was less about his words and more about the cuteness that is his 2-year-old son, Dutch, reports Politico. "This is exactly how this was scripted," the 51-year-old former lieutenant governor joked during his inaugural speech (the Sacramento Bee has the full text) in Sacramento as Dutch rambled about on stage in front of 2,500, a pacifier in his mouth. Scooping up his sleepy-looking son, who nuzzled into his father's shoulder, Newsom—in the midst of decrying President Trump's immigration policies—didn't miss a beat.

"All kids—not just the children of a governor and a filmmaker [wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom]—should have a good life in California." They should not be "ripped away from their parents at the border," he said. "We will support parents. They need support, trust me," he added to laughs as Dutch walked back and forth from the podium. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Newsom "scored a victory for all parents." Per Time, "it's hard to imagine a more ideal optic" for a man who's proposed six-month parental leave and investments in early childhood education. Politico views the win in a larger context, noting Newsom "is widely assumed to have national ambitions." (More California stories.)