Xochitl Hinojosa, Biden’s former Justice Department spokesman, said she has no confidence in Xavier Becerra, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary during the Biden administration, to lead California after Tuesday’s gubernatorial debate.
Hinojosa told a “CNN News Night” panel that California’s governor needs to be someone who can push back on President Donald Trump, saying: “Whoever is going to be governor is going to have to stand up to Donald Trump. And what can I tell you, having worked in the Joe Biden administration? I don’t believe Xavier Becerra is going to do that.”
The announcement surprised CNN panelists including analysts Scott Jennings and Van Jones, with one panelist heard to say: “Wow!”
“I don’t believe he can do that because I don’t believe he can stand up to Trump and lead,” she said.
Former Biden Cabinet member runs for California governor
Host Abby Phillip then asked Hinojosa why.
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“Because when I see him in government, I think a lot of people do that and people understand it,” Hinojosa said. “He’s not governing effectively. I think a lot of people in the Biden administration are talking about that because they realize he’s not an effective secretary of Health and Human Services.
“If you ask any cabinet minister, they will tell you the same thing,” she continued. “So, I think people recognize that. I think that’s why Tom Steyer got to the top.”
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Former first lady Jill Biden speaks alongside former President Joe Biden and former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra during a Cancer Cabinet meeting at the White House on September 13, 2023 in Washington, DC.
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Phillip said it wasn’t the first time she’d heard the claim either, adding, “What she said was true.”
“The attack on Becerra has nothing to do with anything he did or didn’t do in California,” the host continued. “It has to do with his record in the Biden administration. It has to do with his character. It has to do with his leadership. I do think that’s going to be an issue.
“I’m not sure a Joe Biden-adjacent brand is a good brand anywhere in the country right now,” Phillip added. “I also think the situation at HHS could be a problem for him when you look more deeply at what he’s done in that position.”
According to Politico, Becerra has become “the Joe Biden of the California gubernatorial race.”
When reached for comment by the Becerra campaign, Fox News Digital instead read a statement from Ron Klain, President Biden’s former White House chief of staff, who said: “Secretary Becerra is one of the most valuable and high-performing members of the President’s Cabinet. His leadership on immigration and health care coverage is unparalleled, and he has achieved historic victories for the American people in lowering prescription drug prices.”
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Matt Mahan, Xavier Becerra, Chad Bianco, Steve Hilton, Tom Steyer and Katie Porter attend the gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios on April 22, 2026 in San Francisco. California will hold its primary on June 2, with the top two finishers, regardless of party, advancing to the November general election.
Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco and Democrats Katie Porter, Matt Mahan, Antonio Villaraigosa and Becerra participated in the CNN debate on Tuesday.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday that many Democrats want former Vice President Kamala Harris to run for governor.
former congressman eric swalwell end his campaign After running for governor and resigning from Congress amid sexual misconduct allegations that upended the race, the Times noted that California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks “has urged candidates to ‘honestly evaluate’ whether they should continue running.”
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David Axelrod, a Democratic strategist and former Obama adviser, said the situation was like a “high-stakes NASCAR race where the cars are not going very fast, but the cars are all hurtling into each other on the road before one finally gets to the front.”
Original source of the article: Former Biden official says she doesn’t trust Democratic primary nominee to become California governor, shocks panel
