Meet the Press: Gov. Gavin Newsom
Interview
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
To me, the polls mean nothing until we get out there and we make our case.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I think we need to move past this notion that he's not going to run. President Biden is going to run. Time to move on. Let's go.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I'm serious when I say this. A little less time on his age, you know, whether or not he's going to run. A little more time on the damn record.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Good to be back. Good to be with you.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
No, the opposite. I think we're on message, we're getting back on the offense, we're on our feet. I think demonstrably that proved itself. I'm not just asserting it on the basis of what happened in the midterms. We out-performed I think our own quiet expectations, certainly, punditry that was out there at the time.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
No, I think the party is in a much better place than it was back then. But I, you know, I stand by what I said a year and a half ago. Out of stress and frustration I expressed not only that point of view, I tried to do something about it through the iteration of doing ads in other states --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- and making a case.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I think the abortion decision has obviously been galvanizing in that respect. And it's demonstrably so. I mean, you saw it with Ohio and what just happened. You're seeing it play out in large and small venues, including the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, et cetera. So look, it's obviously played an outsize role. But I think we're getting our feet under us. I think we're focused on democracy and freedom, taking back the mantra of freedom, not submitting to the other side that they own patriotism. The president's developing his message and strategy. And we --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- have an opportunity in the next few months.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Absolutely --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I don't know about the second term agenda, because we're still regaling an extraordinary success of the last few years, of which we now get to apply the principles and advance a lot of what has been asserted. Meaning, make real the commitments we've made through these landmark legislative packages. But beyond that, I think the fundamental messaging has improved. The organized framework that the ads that they've put out, the last five ads, I think have been spot-on. And now we have to go out and campaign. And I think you're going to see that over the next few months.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I don't -- to me, the polls mean nothing until we get out there and we make our case. And we have to make our case. We have to focus on the issues, and then obviously framework of contrasts.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Perception --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- can be.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I'll leave it to more objective minds. I don't have that point of view. I'm very inspired by the master class of the last two and a half years. And I mean it. I mean, master class in terms of delivering results. And the results are demonstrable. The question you're asking is the challenging one --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- is how do we mind the gap between performance, the substance and the result and that perception before it becomes reality? Clearly it's reflected situationally in these polls. But that's the opportunity, the -- not the burden, the opportunity of being able to run on this record, the Biden record, and to make the case to the American people in the next 18 months.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
That wasn't -- that wasn't even on my mind --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- in the context of the question.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I don't know. I'll leave that -- I don't know what it is. All I know is we have the opportunity to sell remarkable accomplishments, and we get an opportunity to do that in a way that, frankly, we haven't in the past. And we need surround sound. We need to organize bottom-up, not just top-down. We can't just rely on the president to make that case alone. The party, the Democratic Party -- it goes back to your original question. The party itself I think needs to be more muscular in terms of how we approach that -- our role and responsibility in promoting that record.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I don't -- I hope we don't have to experience that. But I worry about democracy. I worry about the fetishness for autocracy that we're seeing not just from Trump, but around the world, and notably across this country. I've made the point about DeSantis that I think he's functionally authoritarian. I'm worried more, in many respects, about Trumpism, which transcends well beyond his term and time and tenure.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I'll leave that to more objective minds. I'm concerned about democracy fundamentally in this country.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I think the vengeance --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I think the vengeance in Donald Trump's heart right now is more of a threat.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yeah.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I'm not going to wallow in it. I'm going to work hard to get President Biden re-elected, and work hard to make the case for what he's done for this country.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Well, I think the vice president is naturally the one lined up. And the filing deadlines are quickly coming to pass. And I think we need to move past this notion that he's not going to run. President Biden is going to run, and looking forward to getting him re-elected. I think there's been so much wallowing in the last few months and handwringing in this respect. But we're gearing up for the campaign. We're looking forward to it.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Time to move on. Let's go. I'm going to be at the DNC next week in Chicago, was down with the DCC two weeks ago, down in San Diego. Let's go. Let's make the case, let's stop -- I mean, let's make the case --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- of what the Biden administration --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
No.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Just the -- no, and perhaps there's never been more consistent words that have come out of my mouth than that.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yeah.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yeah, yeah.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yeah.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yeah, I'm -- I haven't plotted this out.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I'm not this Machiavellian. I've, I've -- that said, I'm all in with President Biden. I've proven that over, and over, and over again in private --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- and increasingly in public. I want to continue to make that case. And -- and again, I don't want to just go through talking points. But I'm serious when I say this: a little less time on his age and whether or not he's going to run, a little more time on the damn record. Wonder why there's a gap between performance and perception? I think it's pretty obvious. You're nothing but a mirror of your consistent thoughts.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Whatever you focus on, you find more of. And right now the Democratic Party, the press and others are so focused situationally on his age, "Should he or should he not run," and not on his record. And so our job is to get out of that muck and to get back on our feet, making the case.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Well it's the natural --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
It's the Biden-Harris administration. Maybe I'm a little old-fashioned --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Maybe I'm a little old-fashioned
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- about, you know, presidents and vice presidents. I was a lieutenant governor, so I'm a little subjective on the subject matter.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Well, I leave it to her. I told you, I'm -- I'm the most subjective human being in the world on this topic. I have no objectivity whatsoever. I've known Dianne Feinstein since I was a kid. I interned with her in college. I still have a signed book from my days when she was mayor. So --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yes. So I'm the last person to ask --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yeah.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yes. But I'll tell you, I mean, it wasn't that long ago where she would call me up, read me the riot act on issues related to forest management, vegetation management, what we're doing in the central valley on drought and water issues. Again, that wasn't the black-and-white movie days. That was not too long ago. Her staff is still extraordinarily active and we wish her only the best. Her term expires, she's not running for re-election. So this time next year we'll be in a very different place --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yes. I don't think it, I know it. We're working extraordinarily closely together --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
No.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
No.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Maybe missing town halls or more -- you know, Senator Padilla was just in the office a few days ago. We were comparing and contrasting issues and advocacy. And we're aligned with -- with Feinstein and her office on --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- all of these issues.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
No, I don't want to make another appointment, and I don't think the people of California want me to make another appointment. I've made plenty of appointments.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yes. I don't think that's -- and you know, that said, it's my job, it's my responsibility. If we have to do it, we'll do it.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yes. Interim appointment. I don't want to get involved in the primary.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I wouldn't run again.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
It would be completely unfair to the Democrats that have worked their tail off. That primary is just a matter of months away. I don't want to tip the balance of that.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
We hope we never have to make this decision, but I abide by what I've said very publicly on a consistent basis. Yes.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Well --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
No, I think it was less that and more just the interpersonal relationship that came out of the time we spent together at "Paradise," as he referred to it.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Or the "Pleasure" --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I think he referred to it, during the fire. I find it in stark contrast that DeSantis was completely AWOL from spending any time with Joe Biden, which just to me is political malpractice. But the Democratic governor from the state of California can go out there to Paradise and be with the president of the United State --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yes. But that was wrong. We have to talk about living together and advancing together. We have a responsibility to one another to be mature --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- to rise above politics.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
By definition. We worked very closely together during Covid for the --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- betterment of the people of the state of California --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yes. But at the end of the day, these are the cards that are dealt. And I want to do the best for the people that I represent, 40 million Americans that happen to live in California. Many support him. I'm not going to oppose someone just to oppose them. I don't come into a relationship with closed fists, but an open hand. I call balls and strikes, and few people were more aggressive at calling balls and strikes against Donald Trump. I called California the most un-Trump state in America, and I hold to that. Same time, we work together in terms of emergency preparedness and response, in terms of recovery, on issues related to Covid where Trump himself led a lot of the decisions, his administration that you wisely and appropriately brought up. We took guidance from the federal government as it relates to that. But at the end of the day, I don't like the partisanship. And I thought it was demonstrably displayed by what I thought was a very weak exercise by -- by Governor DeSantis in Florida recently.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yeah.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yeah.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yeah.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
We knew each other before we were both in politics. The day I got sworn in as mayor, walked across the street she got sworn in as district attorney. Extraordinarily close working relationship, including her time in the Senate --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- my time up here.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Of course not. By definition. Won't happen. But we've -- I've said that 1,000 times. We privately continue to maintain a very good relationship, interpersonal. Just, "How are you doing? Checking in." It's been a challenging few years with Covid. And we've had the opportunity to sit down, have lunch together in the White House, spend time talking about important things --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
-- and trivial things.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Maybe. Apparently someone in her office is, because I read some off-the-record quotes. I wish I knew who that was. But I don't hear it from her, and I'm certainly not hearing it from the White House itself.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
I hope. We'll see. To be determined. Figuring out the time and date. There was a venue issue. They wanted thousands of people and make it a performance. I wasn't interested in that. We were pretty clear on that. And so I think we're getting closer --
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Yeah.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Well, I mean, it's two against one.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Bring it on.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT
Source