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Gavin Newsom gave a furious response to a reporter who asked the California governor if his billion-dollar Capitol building expansion was comparable to Donald Trump's 'big, beautiful ballroom.' The new $1.1 billion capitol building in Sacramento has been the subject of controversy for its cost and design, which include secret corridors for lawmakers to use to avoid the press. Newsom, one of the biggest critics of Donald Trump's demolition of the East Wing to build the new ballroom, was not thrilled when reporter Ashley Zavala compared Trump's project to his. The governor visibly squirmed as Zavala talked about how the project was cloaked in secrecy before asking: 'Is that appropriate on one of the most expensive buildings in the United States?' Both Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta paused before Newsom joked: 'You're my attorney.' However, the jokes were over as Newsom interrupted Zavala's attempt to finish her question. 'By the way, I don't think it's appropriate, they should provide you the information. Full stop. Period,' Newsom said. 'But for you to conflate or compare or contrast is, with all due respect, I would separate the ballroom and what Donald Trump just did and desecration and the process and the fact that he secured $300million under curious circumstances from the annex.' Newsom continued to agree with Zavala that the California legislature should be more transparent but chafed at being compared to Trump. Social media jumped on the liberal governor's attitude toward the reporter, with even golf legend Phil Mickelson chiming in. He said : 'How a politician should duck, dodge, weave, avoid 101. Btw, why does he say 'Period. Full stop?' So often. What does that even mean?' 'This is disgusting,' wrote another critic. 'After being stunned into silence, Gavin Newsom begins to condescendingly speak to Ashley Zavala like she’s a kindergartener when she asks about the California Capitol expansion that is cloaked in secrecy and has become one of the most expensive buildings in the country.' 'So incredibly condescending, treats people like they are so beneath him and we all know he is lying as grins and rocks back and forth,' added another. One more added: 'Gavin is one of the most compulsive, sociopathic liars I've ever seen. California, vote this guy out before your once, beautiful state loses all hope of becoming what it once was, a place everyone wanted to visit and live in. That's no longer the case.' The construction of the massive building, known as the Capitol Annex Project, was first introduced in 2018 with an estimated cost of $543.2 million to complete. In April, it was announced the building will cost more than a billion dollars, and that price tag will be footed by Golden State taxpayers, KCRA 3 reported. The structure will house 120 lawmakers, including the governor, lieutenant governor and other staff members. Newsom did not commission the project, which was started before he even took office. He and several other lawmakers will not be housed there as they will be out of office by its completion date in the second half of 2027. It will also house committee hearing rooms for lawmakers to meet and debate on pressing issues related to the liberal state. Although details about the project have remained under wraps, Pro Tempore State Senator Mike McGuire confirmed there will be private hallways in the building for lawmakers to access so they can avoid the public and the media. 'Secure corridors have always been included in plans for the new annex (as they already exist in the swing space) and are designed to help ensure the safety and security of lawmakers, which is even more important today given the events that unfolded on January 6th at our nation’s capital building and the active threats public officials continue to face,' McGuire told the outlet. Despite the hidden tunnels, he said all legislators 'will continue to be accessible and responsive.' The new addition has sparked anger in many Californians, including local lawmakers like Assemblyman Josh Hoover. He referred to the corridors as 'the height of hypocrisy,' adding: 'You are using taxpayer dollars for a taxpayer-funded facility and yet you are going to design it in a way that shields you from the public and shields you from accountability.' The project has long caused trouble, as it just got past a lawsuit that was filed by Dick Cowan, the ex-chairman of the Historic State Capitol Commission, environmentalists and project opponents who claimed lawmakers did not get enough feedback from the public to move forward with the west side construction of the building. The group also voiced concerns about the uprooting of several palm trees and the all-glass façade for the building. The lawsuit was recently settled after the California Supreme Court ruled last fall that lawmakers could exempt the project from the California Environmental Quality Act, which was passed and signed by former President Ronald Regan in 1970. It is unclear how much money will actually be spent on security features for the project as these conversations took place in 2021, the outlet reported. The costly price tag of the building aside, many have been left frustrated for barely knowing any details about the new structure. In fact, lawmakers had to sign non-disclosure agreements that legally force them to keep all details of the project a secret. At this time, our priority is to complete the Annex. There is no discussion or construction occurring on the West side,' Lia Lopez, the chief administrative officer for the Joint Rules Committee, told KCRA 3. Despite that, Cowan is skeptical if the legislature will actually not build on the west side of the building, which would save about $100,000 for taxpayers. The hefty price tag is said to also go toward a new visitor's center and parking garage on the west side, per the outlet. Meanwhile, Hoover is frustrated with his lack of knowledge on the project as a whole. 'What frustrates me is, as a lawmaker that is going to potentially be in this building some day, we have almost zero information about what's going on there and I think we deserve that information, and so do our taxpayers and constituents,' he said.
