Becerra Draws Fire for Demanding 'Profile' Interview Without Gotcha Questions

Democratic candidate for California governor Xavier Becerra drew criticism for a comment during a sit-down interview with local media. He expressed expectations for a "profile" piece and not a "gotcha" interview.

"By the way, this is a profile piece — this is not a gotcha piece, right?" Becerra asked.

When the reporter indicated Becerra would face at least some challenging inquiries, Becerra doubled down. "The way I describe a profile is: You talk about all the things that I’ve done, things that I want to do, along with some tough questions. But not only tough questions," Becerra said.

The moment highlights rising tensions in a crowded field to replace outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom. It also shows Becerra’s readiness to defend his image in the final stretches of California’s open primary, where only the top two candidates advance to the general election.

Becerra served as Health and Human Services Secretary and advised President Joe Biden during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2021 to 2025. He began his political career as deputy attorney general of California. He served in the California State Assembly from 1990 to 1992, held a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2017, and was California attorney general from 2017 to 2021 before leading HHS.

Despite his long career, Becerra’s pre-interview comment drew responses from fellow gubernatorial candidates online. "The media has given Becerra a free pass for so long, but he’s got enough skeletons he’s still afraid," Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican candidate, said in a post to X.

Some criticism came from fellow Democrats, including Matt Mahan, another candidate in the race. "Fixing the problems Californians are facing isn’t easy — but answering questions about them sure should be," Mahan wrote in a post. "By the way, part of being governor is answering tough questions," Mahan’s campaign account added.

The exchange also drew scrutiny from David Axelrod, architect of President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. "As HHS [Secretary] during COVID, Becerra was rarely the administration’s point person in communicating to the American people on the pandemic. This may be the reason why," Axelrod wrote.

The California primary is set for June 2. The top two candidates will advance to a general election on November 3.