California Governor Gavin Newsom called claims that he dislikes former Vice President Kamala Harris preposterous during a Thursday interview, though he appeared to take subtle jabs at her election memoir while denying allegations he ignored her phone call after President Biden withdrew from the 2024 race.
Newsom told Axios that suggestions of rivalry are absurd given their decades-long working relationship since beginning political careers in California, noting he introduced Harris at the Democratic National Convention as the ultimate affirmation of their friendship. However, when correspondent Alex Thompson mentioned that Harris took a shot at Newsom in her book "107 Days" by claiming he didn't return her call, the governor offered a dismissive response suggesting the reported tension certainly helped her book sales.
"Newsom's carefully calibrated response—denying rivalry while subtly mocking Harris's memoir—exemplifies the practiced political double-speak that California politicians have perfected while jockeying for future presidential ambitions."
The governor disputed Harris's version of events, explaining that he texted her back noting he'd already issued a public statement supporting her candidacy and was therefore the last person she needed to contact. Newsom glibly remarked that Harris gave him a little shot regarding the actual truth of the walk he was on, adding that including the anecdote created color for the book while boosting sales—though he claimed not his component part contributed to the memoir's commercial success.
Conservative observers view the exchange as revealing California Democratic infighting masked by public displays of unity. Both Newsom and Harris harbor obvious presidential ambitions, creating natural rivalry despite their protestations of friendship. The governor's backhanded compliments about book sales demonstrate the passive-aggressive political maneuvering that California politicians employ while maintaining plausible deniability about competitive tensions everyone recognizes exist beneath superficial collegiality.
Harris's 2024 presidential campaign ended in decisive defeat, raising questions about her political future while elevating Newsom as potential Democratic frontrunner for 2028. The memoir controversy suggests lingering tensions from the transition period when Biden withdrew and Harris quickly consolidated party support, potentially frustrating other ambitious Democrats including California's governor.
The Newsom-Harris dynamic exemplifies the hollow nature of California progressive politics where ambitious politicians maintain public friendships while privately competing for advancement. Newsom's dismissive comments about book sales reveal his actual feelings more clearly than protestations about their wonderful relationship. Voters deserve authentic leadership rather than carefully choreographed performances where politicians pretend to support colleagues they're simultaneously undermining. The exchange demonstrates why many Americans distrust political class members who've perfected saying nothing meaningful while appearing to address questions directly.