Don’t be weak, Newsom tells the Democratic Party

Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday that his social media posts mocking President Trump, his podcast interviews with right-wing influencers and his push to redraw California’s congressional districts are all in service of one goal: making the Democratic Party look anything other than weak.

- BY LAURA J. NELSON

JUSTIN SULLIVAN Getty Images Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference to kick off the Yes on 50 campaign Aug. 21 in Sacramento.

“The essence of the challenge to the party is weakness,” Newsom said during an onstage interview Wednesday at an event hosted by the news outlet Politico.

Newsom said some of his more combative messaging choices, including sitting for interviews with Fox News host Sean Hannity and debating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, were efforts to break the cycle of Democrats responding to grievances ginned up by right wing media, rather than setting their own agenda.