Gavin Newsom shuts down questions from Fox News host Sean Hannity on presidential run

Gov. Gavin Newsom continued to deflect questions about his White House ambitions and offered a ringing defense of President Joe Biden during a wide-ranging interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity that aired Monday night.

Hannity pressed Newsom on a variety of topics, including immigration, tax policy and Biden’s job performance.

From a political standpoint, the interview was beneficial for both Hannity and Newsom. It was another opportunity for Newsom to burnish his national brand as a leading liberal voice by going toe-to-toe with the conservative news channel’s highest profile host.

For Fox and Hannity, it was a chance to attack Biden and lift up Newsom, who Republicans likely view as a less-competitive presidential contender.

Newsom on Biden and presidential ambitions

Hannity pressed the governor on Biden’s fitness for office. During one segment, he had Newsom watch videos of Biden’s speaking gaffes and tripping incidents.

“Here’s the problem that Joe Biden has,” Hannity said. “You’re arguing, you’re fighting, you’re battling, you’re articulate. We could sit here for three hours, probably have a beer or two in the middle of this, and you can keep going.”

“Here’s the problem,” Hannity added. “Your president can’t have this conversation. He’s not capable of it. Now, my question is a serious one: Is Joe Biden up to the job of being president?”

“I don’t think he’s capable,” Newsom responded. “I know he’s capable. I see results. I see a master class in results the last few years.”

Hannity continued pressing Newsom on whether Biden is “cognitively strong enough to be president.”

“I have conversations all the time with him,” Newsom said. “Yes. And I’ll tell you why I do. I’m dead serious about that. I’ve talked to him when he’s been overseas. I’ve been in Air Force One, Marine One. I’ve been in the limo with him.”

Hannity continued pushing Newsom about receiving pressure to compete against Biden for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination.

“How many times does your phone ping a day (with) people saying, ‘You need to get in this race,’ because they agree with me that he’s not up to the job?” Hannity asked.

Newsom said there were no circumstances under which he would consider entering the presidential contest.

“I see where you’re going with that, Sean,” Newsom said. “And I’m not answering.”

Immigration

Newsom said he favors comprehensive immigration reform and criticized Republicans for “(being) silent on it.”

“You haven’t even discussed it,” Newsom said. “You haven’t even picked it up.”

He continued to slam Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his role in sending a group of migrants to Sacramento after accusing the Republican of kidnapping them.

Newsom said he had talked to “every single one” of the migrants and believes they came to California under “false pretenses.”

“What faith tradition teaches you to treat human beings like this?” Newsom asked. “To belittle them, to demean them?”

Homelessness

Hannity challenged Newsom’s record on homelessness. He showed Newsom a 2008 video of himself as mayor of San Francisco, when he touted a 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness during a state of the city address.

The governor called California’s homelessness situation “a disgrace” that he owns the problem. He said the state only recently began investing in the issue after decades of neglect.

“The state of California was not involved in the homeless issue,” Newsom said. “We got involved. We’re holding cities and counties accountable. I’m suing cities that are not producing housing.”

“We actually have a 15-year high in new housing starts in the state of California,” Newsom added. “We’re actually seeing programs produce real results, but I want accountability. I’m not the mayor of California. I’m governor of a state larger than 21 states’ populations combined. And the difference between me and most politicians is I own this. I take responsibility for this.”

Taxes

Hannity pushed Newsom on California’s tax policy and why people are continuing to move out of the state.

Newsom talked up the state’s progressive tax structure and asserted that residents in Texas and Florida pay more in property taxes.

“The American people don’t know this: We have the highest tax rate for the 1%, but middle class families actually paid less than the majority of states in America in California,” he said.

A WalletHub study found that Texas’ property tax burden is the country’s eighth highest, while Florida ranks 25th. California is 23rd.

Reparations

Hannity asked about California’s Reparations Task Force and estimates that the state could owe Black descendants of slaves billions of dollars.

When he pressed about whether the state could afford cash payments and whether he supports them, Newsom said he has yet to see the task force’s final recommendations.

“I put out a statement saying reparations is more than just about money,” Newsom said. ‘That implies a deeper rationalization of what is achievable, what’s reasonable and what is right, and that’s the balance that we’ll try to advance.”

Newsom’s expanding national profile

Newsom has spent the past year trying to expand his national name recognition by taking on Republican figures, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and DeSantis.

Last year, he spent money from his re-election campaign on billboards and newspaper and television ads in Florida and Texas criticizing GOP policies on issues such as abortion and gun control.

This year, he created a political action committee called the Campaign for Democracy and went on a red state tour with stops in Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas and Florida.

The PAC last week launched an effort to push for a 28th Amendment to the United States Constitution to restrict firearms and prevent gun violence.

This story was originally published June 12, 2023 at 8:12 PM with the headline "Gavin Newsom shuts down questions from Fox News host Sean Hannity on presidential run."