California gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra abruptly walked away from reporters Wednesday after refusing to answer repeated questions about his record overseeing migrant children as President Joe Biden’s Health and Human Services secretary.
Becerra had just wrapped up a Sacramento press conference promoting state voting rights legislation in his role as an adviser to the UCLA Voting Rights Project when he was pressed about his tenure leading HHS.
“Do you have any regrets about your HHS career?” The California Post’s Titus Wu asked twice as Becerra turned and continued walking without responding.
The Democrat declined to answer nearly every question shouted his way, breaking his silence only to confirm that he would debate Republican rival Steve Hilton.
The tense exchange comes as Becerra’s handling of the migrant child crisis has become a growing flashpoint in California’s gubernatorial 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.
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