Newsom Surprises Critics, Supports Musk In Coastal Commission Battle

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has unexpectedly sided with Elon Musk in a heated dispute between the tech mogul and the California Coastal Commission. The Commission recently rejected SpaceX’s request to increase rocket launches from Vandenberg Space Force Base, a decision Musk claims was politically motivated due to his support for President Donald Trump.

“I’m with Elon,” Newsom declared during an interview after a campaign stop in North Carolina. He went on to criticize the Commission’s decision, saying, “You can’t bring up that explicit level of politics.” Newsom’s remarks suggest that he agrees with Musk’s lawsuit, which alleges that the Commission’s rejection was based on “naked political discrimination.”

Musk sued the California Coastal Commission, accusing the agency of blocking his plans for partisan reasons rather than focusing on the actual merits of the application. Despite often being on opposite sides of political issues, Newsom admitted that in this case, the Commission’s actions were wrong.

This show of support comes as a surprise, given the contentious history between Newsom and Musk. The two have publicly sparred over numerous issues, including California’s handling of transgender rights and restrictions on artificial intelligence. However, in this instance, Newsom acknowledged that the Commission’s rejection overstepped by introducing politics into the decision.

While Newsom’s alignment with Musk may be limited to this particular issue, it signals that even long-standing political opponents can find common ground on matters of fairness and governance.