Bed Bath and Beyond Executive Tells Newsmax He Wants Gavin Newsom ‘Out of Office’: ‘Somebody’s Gotta Say Something’
Bed Bath & Beyond executive chairman Marcus Lemonis told Newsmax on Wednesday he would “love to see Gavin Newsom out of office” in an interview railing against the California governor.
“We want to be in markets where we can actually make a profit and we can provide a very competitive and fair wage and we don’t wake up every morning wondering if we’re gonna be sued by some class action lawsuit or over-regulated by a local government,” Lemonis said during an appearance on Newsmax’s Rob Schmitt Tonight.
“I think at the end of the day, when you look at businesses that have had to leave California, those are the principle reasons, and the fact that they keep telling us in California that they’re the 4th largest economy in the world, I get it, but it’s also probably one of the worst places to try to make a profit.”
He continued, “At some point, you know, I’d love to see Gavin Newsom out of office. I’d love to see a more responsible, balanced approach to how we manage businesses in there, and if you want companies to invest, you’re gonna need to incentivize them to do so.”
Lemonis went on to say that, as a television personality, he also knew people in Hollywood who no longer wanted to be in the state.
“I can tell you, the people in Hollywood don’t wanna be there anymore either, and once you’ve lost that audience, once you’ve lost the entertainment industry, I don’t know where you recover from there,” he said. “He has convinced California residents that they’re living in a wonderful place, and there are parts of that that are true, but for small business owners that are trying to make a living, that are over-regulated, I sympathize with small business owners and that’s really, you know, part of why we’re getting out there and saying someonebody’s gotta say something.”
After Lemonis announced this week that Bed Bath & Beyond would “not open or operate” any retail stores in California as part of its business comeback, citing the state’s high taxes, regulation, and “risky environment,” Newsom mocked the announcement.
“The company that already went bankrupt and closed every store across the country two years ago? Ok,” reacted the governor.
Newsom’s press office added, “After their bankruptcy and closure of every store, like most Americans, we thought Bed, Bath & Beyond no longer existed. We wish them well in their efforts to become relevant again as they try to open a 2nd store.”
Watch above via Newsmax.
