The Democrat Party needs to find their next candidate. And it could be anyone.
Now Gavin Newsom smacked Kamala Harris with a surprise attack straight out of left field.
The Convenient Friendship: Newsom Calls Rivalry Talk “Preposterous” — But His Actions Tell a Different Story
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the gallivanting governor currently on a national book tour promoting his memoir Young Man in a Hurry and his all-but-declared presidential bid, sat down with Axios this week to do some political housekeeping — namely, reassure everyone that he and former Vice President Kamala Harris are just the best of friends. Few people are buying it.
When asked point-blank why he and Harris don’t like each other, Newsom called the premise “preposterous,” insisting the two have maintained a working relationship going back decades and that he even introduced her at the Democratic National Convention as the “ultimate affirmation” of their friendship. Convenient timing for a man with a book to sell and a primary to win.
The Unreturned Call — And the Spin That Followed
The friction isn’t hard to trace. In her memoir 107 Days, Harris revealed that Newsom never returned her call on the day President Biden dropped out of the race. “Hiking. Will call back,” he texted at the time — then endorsed her as the Democratic nominee.
Newsom, never one to let someone else have the last word, had a ready explanation. “I remember texting her back, I was like, ‘Kamala, I’ve already put out a statement supporting you. I’m the last person you need to talk to,'” he said. “But, for whatever reason, she added that in. I think it created some color for the book.” Charming. The Governor of California, potentially running to lead the free world, reduced a colleague’s grievance to a marketing strategy.
He also admitted he hasn’t fully read 107 Days, though he’s “read excerpts” — pausing to address Harris directly through the camera: “I admit, Kamala, I have not fully absorbed the book.” The kind of performative humility that has become something of a Newsom specialty.
Circling the 2028 Prize — And Dismissing the Competition
In a passive-aggressive move that speaks louder than any interview, Newsom has coaxed several Harris alumni into his camp, including her former chief of staff, consulting firm, and campaign manager. Preposterous rivalry, indeed.
When pressed on whether the two might face off in 2028, Newsom turned zen-like: “You can only control what you can control.” He then offered a tidy summation of how he views Harris’ future — and his own ascent. “She’s lived an extraordinary life,” Newsom said of Harris, notably in the past tense. “She’s exceeded so many people’s expectations — maybe not her own. And she may run for another office. She may run for school board.”
School board. From a man whose own memoir has been described as an exhausting hagiography of yet another man who had an affair while in office, the condescension lands with full force.
A recent Yale Youth Poll showed Newsom leading Democratic preferences for 2028 at 25 percent, followed by Harris at 18 percent. Numbers Newsom is clearly aware of — even if he’s far too humble to say so.
