The California governor described White House reporters as ‘sycophants’

California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the media for what he described as overly deferential coverage of Donald Trump, characterizing reporters in Oval Office press briefings as “sycophants.”

The Democratic governor — widely seen as a potential contender for the 2028 presidential race — made the remarks during a Sunday interview with progressive commentator Jack Cocchiarella.

Cocchiarella pressed Newsom on what he framed as “hesitancy” within the White House press corps to scrutinize certain subjects: namely, the 80-year-old president’s health.

“You see these press conferences in the Oval Office,” the governor replied. “You maybe have one or two reasonable reporters. They ask a question; there’s no chance for a follow-up. And then it’s seven sycophants from news outlets.”

  • Optional@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    Lefties you gotta get your person up and ready. Presuming elections still exist and should this guy emerge as the frontrunner you have about 814 days before you have to vote for this guy or continue flushing ourselves down the republican hole.

    Every article about him brings the boo-birds. That’s fine, but there’s still no champion for our leftier-than-thou politicos. You just gonna let it ride on Bernie again?

    • ShredderFeeder@shredderfood.net
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      1 hour ago

      Bernie is officially too old (honestly, he was in 2015)

      If Newsome is on the ballot in november I’ll vote for him. Of course if Lassie was on the ballot as a democrat in 2028, I’ll vote for her.

      Don’t give a shit. Anything is better than a republican.

      • shirasho@feddit.online
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        4 minutes ago

        That is NOT true. Voting for a Democrat that does nothing is just as bad. Not only would they do nothing to reverse the damage, they have actively taken votes that would have been better used on a politician that actually cares.

        A lot of people will blindly vote for the person with a D next to their name. The Democratic party is purposely not putting the best candidates forward. There needs to be more awareness of who the duds are and either vote them out or not vote them in.

    • sportsjorts@lemmy.zip
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      2 hours ago

      I’ll do what I always do watch the Dem establishment shit all over everything while I hold my nose and vote for a shit stain like newsowm. There’s plenty of time for a “lefty” candidate to rise as long as the DNC fucks off to hell.

      • lennybird@lemmy.world
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        1 hour ago

        I’ll be shocked if AOC runs for president and not against Schumer.

        If she doesn’t then just vote Michelle Obama in, as there’s really nobody else I can think of in a position to run by then. Not a leftist at least in the surface but she’d win in a landslide. Easily. And I’d prefer her over someone like Newsom or Shapiro…

        • MartianRecon@lemmus.org
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          1 hour ago

          She’ll go for Schumers seat. The Democrats need a dude to run against the republican. Shooting yourself in the foot by having a woman run is not worth the risk to the fate of the country. The handicap from the sexist assholes is just too great to overcome.

          That’s the frank games theory we’ve proven this decade.

          • lennybird@lemmy.world
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            14 minutes ago

            I think it has been debunked that a woman or person of color is why we lost. Key to note: Anyone who was a true sexist racist piece of shit was already core maga and never, ever going to vote for any Democrat.

            People must remember that nobody has polled higher against Trump – ever – than Michelle Obama. IF she wants to run (and a big if), she would win. Just need a tad bit more charisma.

            (If anyone has any evidence whatsoever beyond speculation or shoddy N=2 statistics, I’m all ears, but I have not found evidence).

        • TheMadCodger@piefed.social
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          1 hour ago

          That’s one of the many problems with this system. The DNC is a private organisation and they can put forth or hold back any candidate they want regardless of the will of the people (see: Harris or Sanders the first time).

          So unless the DNC finally gets out of its own way (it won’t) and lets an actual progressive candidate run, they’ll do the same thing they always do and pick some Milquetoast “centrist” who will keep the status quo, and an actual progressive will have to run independent or form a new party and then get enough people to vote for them without splitting the vote and causing the Nazis to win by default.

          The entrenched powers have no interest in change and don’t care what the people actually want.

    • MartianRecon@lemmus.org
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      2 hours ago

      You know most of them won’t because he doesn’t support their personally cut together version of Das Kapital.

      Like it or not, Gavin is one of the few Dems who actually has signed progressive laws in this country. But because he looks the way he do the ‘identity politics’ people can’t help but judge him because of that.

      • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
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        42 minutes ago

        He also made homelessness illegal and held back plenty of other progressive laws, but yeah sure it’s identity politics.

    • TranscendentalEmpire@lemmy.today
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      1 hour ago

      Every article about him brings the boo-birds. That’s fine, but there’s still no champion for our leftier-than-thou politicos.

      Crazy, It’s almost like the DNC is complicit in keeping any viable economically left winged candidates away from any seat of power where they could one day become a decent candidate for president.

      I really can’t understand why anyone would think Gavin Newsome is a good candidate. Imo the only thing different between the mainstream Democrats and the Republicans is an affectation of wokeness, and Gavin Newsome doesn’t even clear that hurdle.

      His only talent in life is cheating on his wife and befriending the Gettys. Literally has not had to work for a thing in his life. Daddy bought him a degree at a private school, got a baseball scholarship… never played a single game. His best friend bought him a winery, and then had Mayor Brown take him under his wing in SF, and then had governor brown do the same exact thing.

      Can we not go a little bit farther to the left than the best friend of an oil Barron?

    • dhork@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      Future President Gavin Newsom is a snake and can go fuck himself

      Fixed it for you

        • dhork@lemmy.world
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          2 hours ago

          But he’s the Next One Up, he’s already got the nomination. The primary is a formality.

          The last time the DNC let a grassroots candidate take over and ruin the plans for the Next One Up, we got 8 years of a young, transformative President. They’re not gonna let that happen again under their watch!

          • NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io
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            40 minutes ago

            Uh you really didn’t. Obama was pretty much business as usual save for the affordable care act and some good foreign policy decisions.

    • DrakeAlbrecht@lemmy.world
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      2 hours ago

      He’s the worst choice for President who isn’t actually a Nazi.

      He also might be the only choice for President who isn’t a Nazi.

      Whether or not he’s the Democrat nominee, the nominee will be someone that virtually nobody actually likes.

      We’re going to hold our noses and vote for them, or we’re going to get President Vance and eight more years of Heritage Foundation policy.

      • ShredderFeeder@shredderfood.net
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        1 hour ago

        Every time I say this the internet falls on me. As a cis-straight-white-male who is close to a fairly well planned (but not exorbitant) retirement, I won’t be hurt by a third much trump term… But I will feel very sorry for those who are NOT cis-straight-white-males who stayed home and helped it happen.

        Historically, there are very few instances of radical change in government… Incremental progressive change is the best we can hope for…

      • FiniteBanjo@feddit.online
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        2 hours ago

        No chance, I think. The only poll which doesn’t place Harris in the lead, usually by double digits, gives it to Buttigeig. I think if it comes down to either Harrs vs Newsom or Buttigieg vs Newsom then the supporters of candidates who lost will put their weight behind the opponent to Newsom.

        Newsom is a dishonest, anti-democratic, anti-tax, anti-bodily autonomy, etc candidate. While these qualities may have helped with California’s redistricting, he will not be popular enough for the majority in the DNC 2028 primaries.

        • DrakeAlbrecht@lemmy.world
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          2 hours ago

          dishonest, anti-democratic, anti-tax, anti-bodily autonomy

          In other words, he’s going to be the perfect corporate shill and have billions in dark money behind his campaign.

  • homes@piefed.world
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    2 hours ago

    We all knew this is coming. Gavin Newsom isn’t the lefty we thought he was, or the lefty he was pretending to be. He’s a corporate shitLib, and we can’t let him be president. Not now, not ever!

    Maybe AOC isn’t all we hoped she would be (and she got me drunk at some Union Square adjacent Mexican bar when I was an undergrad, so I actually trust her), but for fucks sake, if she runs for president, I’m gonna vote for her, and I hope all of you do too!

    I’d much rather she be the first woman president than that Hillary bitch. Yes, fuck Trump, but that’s already happened. AOC for the win. She made me the best margaritas I’ve ever had

      • homes@piefed.world
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        24 minutes ago

        Certainly not the best reason, I’ll give you that. It certainly sounds like a bullshit reason. Other people have gotten me drunk, and I’ve certainly wouldn’t vote for them.

        But she and I had a long conversation about a lot of things, and she was very clearly a highly intelligent person that I walked away from respecting quite a lot.

        And I don’t know any random politician that I could say that about.

        Of all the people on your ballot, could you say that about any of them?

        Before she ever ran for office, I met her. I talked to her, and I got to know her. She was pretty great.

        Maybe I don’t agree with every single one of her political positions, but I believe that she’s a real person that is gonna represent the best positions of the working person: ME, and people like me.

        I’m gonna vote for her, because I’m convinced that she represents me and my needs and interests, and those of people like me. And so should you! And unless you can present evidence to the contrary, then shut the fuck up and vote for her, too!

        For the good of you, your family, and your community!