California Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested Monday that the Democratic Party is suffering from an identity crisis in the wake of crushing losses in the 2024 presidential election.
“I don’t know what the party is,” Newsom said in an interview with The Hill. “I’m still struggling with that.”
Democrats have fought to rebound from losing the White House, Senate and seats in the House of Representatives in November.
Polls show approval and confidence in congressional Dems have hit all-time lows, and there is no clear leader of the party or indication that members intend to change policy stances and messaging that was widely rejected by voters last fall.
Newsom, who is viewed as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, added that he hasn’t seen any signs that Democrats have reflected on why they were outperformed by Republicans last election.
“We have not done a forensic of what just went wrong, period, full stop,” Newsom said. “I don’t think it, I know it.
“I mean, to the extent that I’m marginally part of this party, I represent the state larger than 21 state populations combined, and I can assure you there’s not been a party discussion that I’m aware of that has included the state of California,” the Golden State governor added.
Newsom argued that without introspection, Democrats are doomed to “repeat” past failures and once again bemoaned “the fact that we’re not even stress-testing what the hell just happened.”
Despite his demand for deep reflection, Newsom refused to dissect Dem former Vice President Kamala Harris’s failed, billion-dollar presidential campaign.
When asked what the biggest mistake Harris made in her race against Donald Trump, the governor said he “would have a difficult time answering that.
“Because I think I’d be unfair in answering that,” Newsom continued, noting that Harris entered the race on short notice after former President Joe Biden ended his re-election bid in July 2024.
“We’re all geniuses, not just experts in hindsight,” he said. “And I thought [Harris’s team] ran a remarkably effective 107-day campaign, and all her strengths were there.”
Newsom was a key party surrogate for both Biden and Harris in 2024, traveling the country to boost their message.
Harris is reportedly considering a bid to take up Newsom’s mantle in Sacramento in 2026. She is expected to make a decision on running for the California governorship by the end of the summer.
Meanwhile, Newsom has kept quiet on his political future, telling comedian Bill Maher last month, “I’ve got no grand plans.”
