Newsom Appears to Mock Kamala, Nominating Process: ‘I’ve Been Told To Say’

California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom appeared to critique Vice President Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party’s method of nominating her without a traditional primary process.

Newsom joined the “Pod Save America” podcast, hosted by former Obama Administration staffers, to discuss the Democratic National Convention and Harris’s nomination, who hails from his home state.

When questioned about the expedited primary process and Harris’s ‘coronation,’ Newsom seemed to direct his comments at both Harris and the Democratic Party, smirking as he spoke.

“How are you feeling about the switch?” asked Pod Save America co-host Jon Favreau. “We went through a very open process, a very inclusive process. It was bottom-up, I don’t know if you know that,” Newsom responded with a laugh. “That’s what I’ve been told to say.”

Favreau remarked, “It was a blitz primary, I believe is what they called it.” After making a joke about the nomination process, referring to it as a “30-cent convention,” Newsom pivoted to supporting Harris, stating the party is “unified” behind her.

WATCH:

Harris effectively secured the Democratic Party’s nomination over 30 days ago following President Biden’s announcement via an X post that he was suspending his re-election campaign. Although Biden initially did not endorse Harris, he did so in a subsequent post about 20 minutes later.

Biden’s endorsement has led to widespread speculation, including reports of internal conflicts within the Biden White House and the upper echelons of the Democratic Party.

Reports suggest that former President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi orchestrated a pressure campaign to influence the nomination process. Sources say the three prominent Democrats proposed a “mini-primary” at the Democratic National Convention to select a new candidate.

Obama was reportedly inclined to nominate Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), but his plans were thwarted when Biden endorsed Harris as a final “f**k you,” according to a source close to the Biden family, as reported by the New York Post.

Biden’s endorsement of Harris was described as “Joe truly knifing Obama and Pelosi in the back for making him stand down,” another high-profile Democratic source told the outlet.

Earlier this month, an exclusive report revealed Pelosi’s significant role in Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race. As Biden was recovering from a COVID infection a day before his widely covered Sunday evening address announcing his exit, Pelosi allegedly sent him an urgent message, indicating she was prepared to publicly question his ability to defeat Donald Trump in November, according to DailyMail.com.

The ultimatum was clear: Step down now, or Pelosi would publicly criticize her longtime ally and friend of over 50 years. Four sources with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed this message. One source indicated Pelosi directly informed Biden during a phone call that she would release harsh polling data to back her claims.

The demand was reportedly so intense that it led to a ‘come to Jesus moment’ for Biden, prompting him to start drafting his withdrawal announcement, though both Biden’s and Pelosi’s offices officially denied such a phone call took place.

The revelation came amidst an escalating public fallout between Pelosi and Biden, who have not spoken since his withdrawal announcement. As Pelosi's new memoir hit the shelves, she has faced a series of interviews, struggling to address questions about her strained relationship with the president.

On Sunday, August 4, CBS anchor Lesley Stahl pressed Pelosi on the issue.

“It’s been very well-reported that you were the leader of a pressure campaign [to convince Biden to step aside]?” Stahl asked.

“No, I wasn’t the leader of any pressure [campaign],” Pelosi replied. “Let me say things that I didn’t do: I didn’t call one person.”

However, in a subsequent interview with The New Yorker, Pelosi admitted to losing sleep over the rift with Biden and expressed hopes that the relationship could be repaired.