https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/10/27/western-states-join-califo...
https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/03/politics/white-house-fda-coro...
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-business-mark-meadow...
Moreover, Gov. Newsom's statements did not say that the vaccines were unsafe; he simply said that he was establishing an independent panel of scientists to evaluate the same evidence that the FDA evaluated. At no point did he say that people should seek ivermectim or hydroxychloroquin or that people should just rely on natural immunity.
Even if Newsom did the wrong thing here, it is a far cry from the Republicans, who have pushed the narrative that people should feel no specific obligation to get vaccinated because of "freedom." Trump has stood before crowds of vaccine-hesitant supporters and said, "Get the shot if you want to." Republican governors have echoed that sentiment. The results speak for themselves: Democrats have higher vaccination rates and Democrat-leaning areas have lower infection and lower hospitalization rates compared to Republicans.
> "Get the shot if you want to."
That is exactly what any sane person should say. Trump is pro-vaccine. He has unequivocally said he has had it and thinks it's a good idea. He's just anti-mandate. You can be pro-vaccine (as in you believe others should get it), while being against a mandate. This is insanity. The expectation that one must believe that the government ought to require a vaccine in order to not be anti-vax is quite the shift of goal posts.
https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2021/9/mcc...
You can find plenty more similar statements by Republicans if you bother to look.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/14/us/politics/gop-covid-vac...