California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Sunday torched President Donald Trump's Media Offenders list while mocking the president's Oval Office press briefings in a rant on progressive political commentator Jack Cocchiarella's podcast. Newsom dug into Trump after Cocchiarella brought up the media's “hesitancy to talk about Trump's health” amid ongoing concerns about his cognitive health and fitness for office.
Newsom's Criticism of the Media Offenders List
Fuming over the White House putting Cocchiarella and other journalists on the list as if they're “enemies of the state” because they believe in “accountability and transparency,” Newsom argued the press briefings are riddled with media personnel who suck up to Trump. “These press conferences in the Oval Office — 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,” Newsom declared.
Mocking Sycophantic Reporters
Newsom then imitated a MAGA reporter asking Trump a question while simultaneously fawning over him during the press briefings. “Mr. Trump, you're such a extraordinary man. You look quite handsome, you look like you've lost weight,” Newsom said. “Is that because you are negotiating Medicaid Part D with GLP-1s because of your extraordinary work to get pharmaceutical prices down?”
Broader Critique of Media Coverage
Newsom did not call out any news outlets or reporters directly. Switching gears to a more serious tone again, he called the biased media coverage of Trump “embarrassing.” Newsom's remarks came a month after Trump publicly attacked CNN's Kaitlan Collins. Trump, who has frequently attacked Collins and other reporters who question his policies, alleged Collins had “hatred in her eyes” during a briefing on June 3.
“CNN's a very corrupt organization, with a corrupt reporter standing right there, never smiles,” Trump said, gesturing to Collins. “She never... a young beautiful woman [who] never smiles. I never see a smile off her face. I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes.” He also told Collins to “be quiet” after she asked him about the status of his $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund.”
Watch Newsom's appearance on Cocchiarella's podcast below. Skip to the 17:42 mark to hear his comments about Trump.
