It’s fair to say that California Governor Gavin Newsom’s book tour hasn’t gone as planned. His effort to elevate his national profile for the 2028 election has spectacularly backfired due to a series of missteps, and it shows no signs of slowing down. If he continues down this path, he may inadvertently demonstrate to a large portion of America just how unsuitable he is for the presidency.
On Monday alone, he managed to undermine himself significantly, getting into a heated exchange with Sean Hannity and losing his temper, which included some curse words, amid accusations of racism stemming from his comments during a stop in Georgia.
But that wasn’t all. During his visits in South Carolina on the same day, he insisted that the crowd was “fired up,” despite what many might have observed.
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South Carolina, it’s always great to be back.
A fired up room on a Monday morning in @NancyMace’s own backyard says everything about where this country is headed in 2026.
We’re taking back the House. pic.twitter.com/dd3AGs4FJj
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) February 23, 2026
I don’t know about you, but aside from one person, everyone else seemed either uninterested or simply bored in the crowd of what must have been dozens. Then there was his stop in Rock Hill, which featured a larger auditorium. However, it appeared they struggled to fill the 750-seat venue.:
Less than two hours before the book event, titled “An Evening with Governor Gavin Newsom” in Rock Hill, tickets were still on sale for $49.33 a pop in chunks of 10 each — the maximum you can purchase online.
Nathan Click, a Newsom spokesperson, said the unsold tickets were the result of “added capacity.”
“Actually, the original ticket allotment quickly sold out and we added capacity. Even those additional tickets are almost gone as you can see by Eventbrite’s ‘only a few left’ tag,” Click said in an email.
Eventbrite’s tags that read “only a few left” and “selling fast” are often regarded as a marketing tactic to boost sales.
Then came Newsom’s next ‘foot-in-mouth’ moment.
During the event, which was moderated by former DNC Chair Jaime Harrison, Newsom made a remark that some are calling the first real “jab” in the 2028 race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Perhaps his comments reflect a degree of desperation, especially considering his recent struggles in the spotlight.
He shared how he began his political career thanks to former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, who appointed him to the city’s Park and Traffic Commission and then to the Board of Supervisors. However, Newsom also brought up Kamala Harris’s ties to Willie Brown, adding another layer to the discussion.
“For those who don’t know Willie Brown, you wouldn’t know Kamala Harris without Willie Brown,” Newsom declared.
Governor Newsom tonight: "You would not know Kamala Harris without Willie Brown"
Fact-check: TRUE ?? pic.twitter.com/VEoRtcyGLB
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) February 24, 2026
Wow, he really went there! It seems like the audience might not have been familiar with Willie Brown, so they missed the point. However, X definitely caught on.
A truly stunning moment.
The political calculation that Newsom is making to say something like this the way he did is wild. https://t.co/dtXi0EmQbT
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) February 24, 2026
For a reminder, Brown, then 60, had a relationship with and dated the then-much younger Harris when he was still married, but separated.
Brown appointed Harris to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and then to the Medical Assistance Commission – positions that paid her more than $400,000 over five years, according to SF Weekly. [….]
“And I certainly helped with her first race for district attorney in San Francisco,” he said in his Chronicle letter of his endorsement of Harris in her 2003 campaign.
It seems like Newsom is already hinting at some issues with Harris, fully aware of the stir it will cause. He’s clearly enjoying the limelight on his tour. Has anyone ever derailed a campaign before it even kicked off quite like this? It’s bound to drive Kamala up the wall, and he’s already ruffling feathers on the left with his recent comment.
Newsom really doesn’t have much room to talk, considering we might not even know about him if it weren’t for Brown’s influence. If they’re gearing up to toss around some scandalous claims, though, things could get quite intriguing. The fact that these two are often leading in 2028 Democratic polls says a great deal about the lack of depth in their party’s lineup.
