Newsom tells Michigan voters he had to beg Trump to help Californians with wildfire recovery

OF YOU AND GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM IS SPENDING THE HOLIDAY CAMPAIGNING OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA FOR PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S REELECTION TODAY. THE GOVERNOR PUBLICLY AIRED A PROBLEM THAT HE SAID HE HAD WITH DONALD TRUMP DURING THE WILDFIRE SEASON YEARS AGO WHEN TRUMP WAS PRESIDENT, WHICH CONTRADICTS STATEMENTS THAT HE’S MADE ABOUT THEIR WORKING RELATIONSHIP. KCRA 3’S CAPITOL CORRESPONDENT ASHLEY ZAVALA EXPLAINS. FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM IS CAMPAIGNING IN SWING STATES FOR PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN, WHO IS STRUGGLING POLITICALLY WITHIN HIS OWN PARTY FOLLOWING LAST WEEK’S DEBATE. NEWSOM, CHANNELING A LOT OF HIS ENERGY RECENTLY INTO THE STATE OF NATIONAL POLITICS, SOMETHING HE CONTINUES TO CALL A SERIOUS MOMENT. IT’S ABOUT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. WE’RE ALL BETTER OFF, AND WE’RE ALL BETTER OFF. THAT’S JOE BIDEN, GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM SPENDING THE 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY STUMPING FOR JOE BIDEN AT A BARBECUE IN MICHIGAN. THE GOVERNOR TRYING TO MAKE THE CASE FOR HIM. SO I AM HERE PROUDLY DOING WHAT I CAN TO ADD MY VOICE TO THIS TICKET, STANDING IN FRONT OF A BUNCH OF BIDEN-HARRIS LAWN SIGNS, NEWSOM TOUTED BIDEN’S RECORD ON THE ECONOMY AND CRITICIZED DONALD TRUMP’S HANDLING OF CALIFORNIA’S NATURAL DISASTERS. HE REVEALED THIS ABOUT THE FORMER PRESIDENT. I HAD TO SIT THERE AND MAKE PHONE CALLS AND BEG THE PRESIDENT PERSONALLY TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND REIMBURSE THE PEOPLE OF OUR STATE BECAUSE WE HAD UNPRECEDENTED WILDFIRES, UNPRECEDENTED FLOODING, UNPRECEDENTED DROUGHT, HAD TO BEG HIM TO MAKE THE CASE, TO STEP UP AND STEP IN TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE. THE HELL IS THAT? THIS IS A SERIOUS MOMENT. THIS CONTRADICTING WHAT NEWSOM SAID ABOUT TRUMP BACK IN 2020. I SAY THIS ON MANY, MANY OCCASIONS. THERE’S NOT ONE PHONE CALL THAT I HAVE MADE TO THE PRESIDENT WHERE HE HASN’T QUICKLY RESPONDED AND ALMOST EVERY INSTANCE HE’S RESPONDED FAVORABLY IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING THE NEEDS, UH, THE EMERGENCY NEEDS OF THE STATE THROUGH COVID. AND OVER THE COURSE LAST, AT LEAST A YEAR AND A HALF, THAT I’VE BEEN GOVERNOR AS IT RELATES TO THESE WILDFIRES, HE MAY MAKE STATEMENTS PUBLICLY ABOUT THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP PRIVATELY HAS BEEN A VERY EFFECTIVE ONE. MEANWHILE, IN MICHIGAN, THE GOVERNOR GAVE THIS ADVICE TO DEMOCRATS TO MORE WORRY LESS. AND I THINK YOU GUYS, THAT MAY BE A GOOD WAY TO WAKE UP EVERY DAY. DEMOCRATS RIGHT NOW JUST DO MORE WORRY LESS. NEWSOM EXPECTED TO TAKE THIS MESSAGING TO A HANDFUL OF OTHER SWING STATES THAT WILL HELP DETERMINE WHO IS ELECTED PRESIDENT THIS FALL. I THINK FOR GOVERNOR NEWSOM, HE LOOKS LIKE A LOYAL SOLDIER. JESSICA LEVINSON IS A PROFESSOR AT LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL. THERE IS A RISK IN GOVERNOR NEWSOM LOOKING LIKE HE’S TYING HIMSELF VERY MUCH TO BIDEN-HARRIS. WHEN THERE’S PROBLEMS ON THAT SHIP. HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK HE HAS MADE THE DECISION THAT IT’S FAR BETTER TO BE LOYAL, THAT IT’S FAR BETTER TO BE A TRUSTED SURROGATE THAN IT IS TO BE SOMEBODY WHO DISTANCES HIMSELF FROM THIS TICKET FROM MICHIGAN. NEWSOM’S OTHER STOPS INCLUDE PENNSYLVANIA. ON SATURDAY, THE NEW HAMPSHIRE ON MONDAY. BACK TO YOU. SO IT’S NOT CLEAR WHEN EXACTLY NEWSOM WILL BE BACK HERE IN CALIFORNIA. THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, ELENI KOUNALAKIS, IS ALSO OUT OF STATE.