CALIFORNIA, USA — Governor Gavin Newsom made his first public appearance in nearly two weeks Tuesday.
Newsom's last official outing as governor was back on Oct. 27.
He spoke at the California Economic Summit in Monterey. Before diving into topics related to the state of our economy, the governor explained what he's been up to since his last public appearance.
"Catching up after a pretty intense period of time with myself, my family, my team and it’s been the most productive week I've had since being governor," he said.
After getting a booster shot on Oct. 27, Newsom cancelled plans to attend the ongoing United Nations Climate Change conference in Scotland because of "family obligations."
Newsom explained it was a conversation he had with his kids about missing Halloween that led to his decision.
"And my wife was gonna go and for them, mom and dad missing Halloween….it's like missing Christmas. And I woke up that next morning with something familiar to a lot of parents....that knot in your stomach, so I had no damn choice but to cancel the trip,” said Newsom.
Newsom said not only was he spending time with his family, but he was also working in his Capitol office all last week.
"We've been diving deep into port issues, diving deep into my biggest anxiety, which is the winter surge," he said.
Prior to Tuesday’s appearance, social media exploded with many people questioning where the governor has been.
Some wondered if he was suffering a medical condition related to the booster.
In a since-deleted tweet, Newsom's wife defended her husband, writing in part: “Please stop hating and get a life.”
While he did not address any specific rumor, Newsom did say this about the speculation on social media.
"You weren't abducted by aliens?” the governor was asked.
“No. There was some Twitter accounts... I think we'd all do well taking some time from social media....just a thought," said Newsom.
WATCH RELATED: Newsom makes first appearance in weeks | Rynor Report