Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom said that Democrats had a “false sense” about the support for Vice President Kamala Harris‘ candidacy because “everything’s a bubble.”
Newsom made the comment during an episode of his Politickin’ podcast days after President-elect Donald Trump defeated Harris in the presidential race this month.
While polls had shown a close race up until Election Day, Trump’s victory came after he held onto his core base and made gains among groups that have traditionally been part of the Democratic base, including Black and Hispanic voters.
“Look, we got shellacked…that was terrible,” Newsom told co-hosts Marshawn Lynch and Doug Hendrickson in the episode released on November 14. “We lost all seven swing states. We lost the popular vote, first time in 20 years, second time in 36 years, which shows what an anomaly that is.”
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Newsom, who had been among the names floated to replace President Joe Biden before he ended his reelection bid and threw his support behind Harris, said he and others who hit the campaign trial didn’t see the warning signs for Democrats ahead of the election because every stop is planned ahead of time and crowds are filled with supporters.
“I’m out there in Michigan. I’m on a blue bus, meaning a blue bus tour. I’m with other Democrats,” he said. “Everything’s a bubble. And so you don’t really have a sense of what’s real and what’s not. The crowds are organized. The crowds are enthusiastic, but it’s a bunch of Democrats.
“You’re not randomly walking into a coffee store that hasn’t been preselected as the coffee store you will randomly walk in…you’re going to a coffee store where you know the owner is a Democrat and has supported Democrats in the past. So there’s this false sense when you’re out there as a surrogate, so you don’t pick that up.”
Newsweek contacted Newsom’s office and the Democratic National Committee for comment via email.
On the podcast, Newsom said what he did “pick up” from voters on the campaign trail was concern about several issues that he dubbed the “five I’s”: inflation, immigration, interest rates, incumbency and Israel’s war in Gaza.
“I kept hearing, obviously, inflation, inflation scars. People are p*****,” he said.
“Interest rates. That was about credit card and car loans, that was about rent and mortgages. I heard a lot about immigration….Fourth, which was interesting, was sort of this incumbency that we kind of own this…sort of like, people are angry. There’s gonna be a little bit of payback.
“And of course you heard the other, particularly in Michigan and other places, the issues around Israel, which were not insignificant.”