A former official in the Biden administration appeared to mock California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) this week when he was asked about Newsom’s apparent attempts to boost his profile ahead of the 2024 presidential election season.
The remarks come after Newsom survived an embarrassing recall election that he faced due to his handling of the coronavirus pandemic and the overall condition of his state.
Newsom, who many have compared to delusional psychopath Patrick Bateman from the movie “American Psycho,” is rumored to have presidential ambitions, although he has apparently tried to suggest that he is not challenging the failing Biden administration.
“Everybody is trying to be relevant for the next race,” said Cedric Richmond, a former senior Biden White House official who recently transitioned to a top role in the DNC. “I think ambition makes people do different things.”
When asked about how the Biden administration views Newsom’s attempts to promote himself, Richmond said, “I am not sure they are reading the Gavin Newsom opinion pages about his desire to be politically relevant.”
Newsom has sought to boost his profile by attacking Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), which effectively is political clout chasing.
DeSantis exploded on the national political during the coronavirus pandemic and is now a top candidate for the 2024 presidential election. DeSantis has earned praise from across the political spectrum, from Elon Musk, and has started to beat former President Donald Trump in presidential primary polling.
“Well, first I would say how many people are moving from his state, fleeing to come to mine for freedom versus vice-versa?” DeSantis fired back at Newsom. “And I guarantee you we win in the net — in migration, people are leaving California in numbers we’ve never seen because of his failed policies.”
On the matter of how Newsom responded to the coronavirus pandemic, DeSantis said that “this is where I think his leadership has been terrible.”
“If you look at excess mortality, California’s had a higher percentage of excess mortality since COVID started than Florida — so that includes COVID, but it’s not limited,” DeSantis said, adding that he believes that there were “lockdown deaths” caused by Newsom’s policies. “Those are deaths that his policies have caused, driving people to despair, drug addiction, lack of opportunities.”
Related: Democrat Andrew Gillum Charged With 21 Felonies Related To Campaign That Lost To DeSantis