Newsom says he abruptly pulled out of COP26 climate summit to go trick-or-treating: 'I had no damn choice'

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he abruptly pulled out of the international climate change summit to go trick-or-treating with his family. He went as a pirate.

The governor faced criticism in recent days after he abruptly canceled his trip to the COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, over "family obligations." Local news outlet KABC reported that Newsom’s trip had been in the works for more than a year. 

NEWSOM DISAPPEARS FOR MORE THAN A WEEK, REPORTEDLY POPS UP AT OIL HEIRESS'S WEDDING

On Saturday, the governor sparked further criticism after reportedly attending an oil heiress’ wedding officiated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., after more than a week of no public appearances.

During his first appearance since the backlash on Tuesday, Newsom said at the California Economic Summit that he canceled his trip to go trick-or-treating with his kids and assuage his dad guilt.

"It’s been a hell of a couple years for all of us, for each and every one of you, particularly parents," he said. "The fits and starts at school, the stresses of balancing your responsibilities at work and also your responsibilities at home. And I extend those responsibilities particularly to fathers, that may not be doing as much, let’s be honest, as the moms have been doing these last few years."

"I’ve been on this damn treadmill," he continued. "We’ve gone from crisis to crisis, from wildfires and extremes, from droughts and social justice and unrest, obviously with COVID, this recall you may have read about."

Newsom said he was out to dinner with his family when his children held an "intervention" because they "couldn’t believe I was going to miss Halloween." He ultimately decided to stay home because the "knot" in his stomach was too much to bear.

"I had no damn choice, I had to cancel that trip," he said.

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Newsom said he spent Halloween weekend with his family and had since become "Father of the Year."

The governor said in the last week he’s been "diving deep" into port issues, vaccine boosters and the state budget in "probably the most productive week since I’ve been governor."

Newsom's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, had previously blasted her husband's critics in a since-deleted tweet on Sunday, telling them to "stop hating" over his whereabouts.

"It's funny how certain folks can’t handle truth," Siebel Newsom's tweet read. "When someone cancels something, maybe they’re just in the office working; maybe in their free time they’re at home with their family, at their kids’ sports matches, or dining out with their wife. Please stop hating and get a life."