Tickets still available close to showtime
With less than two hours before the event began in Rock Hill, South Carolina, tickets for California Governor Gavin Newsom's memoir promotion event, "Young Man in a Hurry," were still publicly available on Eventbrite for $49.33 each.
The event, titled "An Evening with Governor Gavin Newsom," was scheduled for 6:30 PM at McGirt Auditorium — a 750-seat venue about a 30-minute drive from Charlotte, North Carolina. The ticket sales page allowed purchases of up to 10 tickets per transaction, and many tickets remained available close to the start time.
Newsom's team explains
Newsom's spokesperson, Nathan Click, stated that the unsold tickets were due to organizers "opening up more seats" after the initial allocation quickly sold out. He claimed that the additional tickets were "almost gone," citing the "only a few left" label on Eventbrite. However, labels such as "selling fast" are often considered marketing tools.
Promotional posts on Facebook revealed mixed reactions in South Carolina — a state that plays a crucial role in presidential primaries. Some people declared their intention to protest, while other comments were sarcastic.
Controversy over SAT remarks in Atlanta
Over the weekend, Newsom held similar events in Nashville and Atlanta. In Atlanta, he sparked controversy by mentioning his SAT score of 960 during a conversation with Mayor Andre Dickens, stating that he "doesn't read speeches" because he struggles with reading. This remark drew criticism on social media.
Newsom later responded sharply on platform X to the accusations, arguing that the criticisms were unfair and connecting them to previous controversial statements made by the U.S. President.
The book promotion tour in South Carolina takes place amid observations by many that Newsom is a potential candidate for the 2028 presidential race.
