In a surprising turn of events, Xavier Becerra, a candidate vying for the governorship of California, opted to walk away from a sea of reporters on Wednesday. The gubernatorial hopeful was questioned persistently about his experience as Health and Human Services Secretary under President Joe Biden, particularly regarding his oversight of migrant children, an area he seemed reluctant to address.
Following a press gathering in Sacramento where Becerra was spotlighting state voting rights legislation, tied to his advisory work with the UCLA Voting Rights Project, he faced a barrage of inquiries concerning his administration of the HHS.
“Do you have any regrets about your HHS career?” inquired Titus Wu from The California Post, repeating the question as Becerra chose a quiet retreat, evading a direct response.
The Democrat was largely silent, sidestepping nearly all the questions directed at him, except for acknowledging that he would participate in a debate against his Republican opponent, Steve Hilton.
This charged moment unfolds as the issue of Becerra’s management of the migrant child crisis gains traction as a contentious topic in the California governor’s race.
Hilton has repeatedly hammered Becerra over the issue.
Becerra’s record has also drawn criticism from fellow Democrats during the primary campaign, making his time at HHS an increasingly uncomfortable topic on the campaign trail.
“Xavier Becerra wants to be governor while dodging questions from the press and a debate with me. What else do you expect from a lazy, arrogant, entitled ’empty suit’ 36-year machine politician who sent thousands of migrant kids to child traffickers to try and save his career?” Hilton posted on X.
Asked why Becerra declined to answer reporters’ questions, campaign spokesperson Jonathan Underland said the candidate was on a tight schedule and needed to leave for a private event in Fresno.
“We’re going to spend a lot of time speaking with the journalists that he’s going to have to work with if he’s elected. Like I said, we’re going to be in Sacramento a lot,” Underland said.