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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    10 days 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?

    • null@piefed.nullspace.lol
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      6 days ago

      They’re busy boosting people like Platner and then backpedalling and blaming the Dems when it backfires.

    • sportsjorts@lemmy.zip
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      10 days 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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        10 days 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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          10 days 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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            10 days 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).

            • edible_funk@lemmy.world
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              9 days ago

              When was that debunked? How? If you genuinely think misogyny and misogynoir weren’t part of why Hillary and Kamala lost then I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

              • lennybird@lemmy.world
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                9 days ago

                Go ahead and sell me that bridge because there is a complete and total lack of evidence to support the claim. Can’t really prove a counterfactual. Others made the claim she lost because of this; when asked for evidence, they always come up short.

                Counterpoints:

                • Biden polled worse than Harris at the end. (White Guy polling worse than Black Woman). Hence the switch in the first place, even Biden agreed!

                • Michelle Obama has always polled higher than anyone against Trump (Black Woman polling better than White Guy).

                Sexists bigots were already core Republican voters never voting for any D no matter who. The battle was lost elsewhere.

                • edible_funk@lemmy.world
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                  9 days ago

                  Oh so you’re just operating under the assumption that nobody who would otherwise vote for a democrat is sexist or racist in one of the most overtly provably sexist and racist countries on earth. But go ahead and claim that racism and misogyny aren’t incredibly relevant factors in every election. There are more undecided/moderate/non voters that are racist and misogynistic than there are republicans. It’s fucking stupid to pretend that wasn’t a factor. Don’t be fucking stupid.

            • MartianRecon@lemmus.org
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              10 days ago

              Uh dude like more than 5% of the party didn’t show up, and a bunch of male Democrats that identify as Latin or African American didn’t vote for her because she was a woman.

              Both Kamala and Clinton were two of the most qualified people to have run for president, and they were fucking beaten by the worst candidate in the history of politics.

              I don’t want to risk it.

              • lennybird@lemmy.world
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                10 days ago

                and a bunch of male Democrats that identify as Latin or African American didn’t vote for her because she was a woman.

                Uh, dude show me your evidence this was the reason lol.

                I’m going to give you a hint: You won’t find it. This is straight up bull fucking shit and 100% speculative.

                I highly advise you not to make such blatant non-sequitur fallacies devoid of any supportive data. I can think of at least a half a dozen other reasons for why people voted or didn’t vote the way they did that actually has data with infinitely less distance to connect the dots than what you’re doing right now.

                • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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                  9 days ago

                  We don’t know the why, but it was a big swing among men of color:

                  https://navigatorresearch.org/2024-post-election-survey-racial-analysis-of-2024-election-results/

                  The largest shifts in support were seen among men, particularly men of color. Donald Trump won the vote of Hispanic men by one point (49 percent Harris – 50 percent Trump), a 35-point difference from 2020, when Joe Biden won the vote of Hispanic men by a 34-point margin. Similarly, there was a 35-point difference in how Black men voted in 2024 compared to 2020. While Black men voted for Harris in 2024 by a 47-point margin (71 percent Harris – 24 percent Trump), it was significantly less than Biden who won the vote of Black men by an 82-point margin over Trump in 2020. White men also moved toward Trump by 5 points (net +23; 37 percent Harris – 60 percent Trump), compared to his margin of 18 points in 2020 (40 percent Harris – 58 percent Trump).

                  Without some very careful probing via polls, getting to the why is going to be harder, most likely. Not too many people are just going to be absolutely candid about being sexist.

    • ShredderFeeder@shredderfood.net
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      10 days 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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        10 days 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.

        • Triumph@fedia.io
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          10 days ago

          Primaries are where you decide. After that, you choose the least worst. And sorry, a “Democrat that does nothing” is not just as bad as open fascism.

            • jumjummy@lemmy.world
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              9 days ago

              No 3rd party candidate will win a General Election unless something changes in the way the Is voting system works. Voting for a 3rd party is literally throwing your vote away at best, or helping the Republicans at worst.

              It’s either naivety or intentional disinformation to spout otherwise.

              • NauticalNoodle@lemmy.ml
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                9 days ago

                so in your worldview does voting Libertarian hurt the Republicans and/or Does it help the Democrats?

                Additionally, voting 3rd-party is not “Figuratively throwing your vote away.” Not voting when you’re registered is “Figuratively Throwing your vote away.” Voting 3rd party at the very least puts the other parties on notice that you’re willing to vote -just not for them.

                • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world
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                  9 days ago

                  For one thing, there is no serious third party. For another: history.

                  If we had ranked choice voting, it might be different. If Democratic Socialists want to run in and win primaries and run as Democrats, hey, great.

                  I am not throwing away my vote in the general for some unserious party like the Green Party (which is probably just a cutout anyway) who runs a candidate at the national level every 4 years and does next to nothing at the local level.

        • ShredderFeeder@shredderfood.net
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          9 days ago

          And that’s how people like Trump become president. Pure and simple.

          Sometimes the lesser of two evils is quite a lot less fucking evil.

          • shirasho@feddit.online
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            9 days ago

            The problem as I see it is that you and the other posters here have fallen for the moving goalposts. “Shit is ok - at least it isn’t vomit.” That is such a poor and defeatist mentality to have. It isn’t a bad thing to want more. Don’t be OK with “the lesser of two evils”. Fight for at least one good candidate. Hold your party accountable for choosing awful candidates that don’t have the people’s best interests at heart.

            I have voted for the lesser of two evils, and I will continue to do so. That won’t stop me from asking for better, and it will not change my mind that inaction in a bad situation is no better than doing bad things.

            • ShredderFeeder@shredderfood.net
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              9 days ago

              That’s what primaries are for.

              Like it or not, we live in a two-party system. The electoral college and the congressional rules make it so. We can either make it work, or we can give up.

              I’m going to vote for the leftist, most progressive person i can in the primaries. But when that fails, I’m going to vote for the democrat on the ticket because even the worst democrat is better than the best republican at this point.

              We can’t afford another 4 years of Trump-Light in JD Vance… Millions of people have already died as a result of Trump getting back in this time… and more people will die, and it will be marginalized people. People of Color, Trans people, immigrants. As in real death.

              Not Voting has real consequences.

    • DrakeAlbrecht@lemmy.world
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      10 days 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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        10 days 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…

  • ProfThadBach@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    I can already see it. The DNC is going to shove this chucklefuck down our throats. I am tired of eating shit sandwiches. I don’t know the answer but he is not it.

    • Faithless@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      Who cares. First get the nazi out and repair your democracy.

      What democrat wins is a luxury problem you don’t have room for. Trump won not only by cheating but also by manipulating “leftists” to not vote.

      Getting honest candidates is a luxury.

      First repair your democracy- reisntate free press, regulate propaganda channels like X and fox , fix party financing, demand transparancy,….

      Recovering the broken relationships with allies will take decades.

      • dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        Agreed. Stop the bleeding first, then triage based on wounds and prognosis.

        Recovering the broken relationships with allies will take decades.

        I’m fully prepared to not live long enough to see that repaired. Not that it’s hopeless, but it really will take a lifetime.

      • catothestoic@lemmy.world
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        9 days ago

        Voting for the lesser of two evils, over and over again, is how we got here, so nah. Do it right or let it burn.

          • WraithGear@lemmy.world
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            9 days ago

            when a democrat is in office it’s column A when republicans are in office its column B.

            ok look the result is the same

            • Faithless@lemmy.world
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              9 days ago

              That’s not even remotely true. The trump regime is unique, only comparable to e.g. The first years of the nazis and idiocracy.

              Nothing in the US is comparable to it. Stop this Russian propaganda

    • BillCheddar@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      They’re going to do none of that.

      There are lots of good candidates that all deserve a look and a chance to be vetted publicly.

        • BillCheddar@lemmy.world
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          8 days ago

          …not running, because the sitting president ran for re-election?

          Do you not know anything about politics or are you just pretending to be this way?

    • zuana@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      I love the part where Newsome empowered Israel to destroy their enemies, started a secret police to target brown people, and murdered 7 million people through government cuts. Pic Unrelated.

  • tigermountain@lemmy.world
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    9 days ago

    To say I’m extremely disappointed that the mainstream media seems to have failed us is an understatement. We have a president and senior members of his administration who are unbound by principals, morals or ethics and barely constrained by law but the media struggles to convey its dangers.