Trump’s Dominance Highlighted

• Gavin Newsom emphasized Donald Trump’s superior standing after the Republican primary debate.
• Newsom described other participants as significantly overshadowed by Trump, likening their performance to a junior varsity or perhaps vice-presidential debate.
• He expressed skepticism towards the candidates’ awareness of Trump’s dominance and urged them to strategically confront Trump to have a shot at nomination.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said:

“I mean, this is the XFL. This is JV. I mean, honestly, this is maybe, maybe a vice presidential debate. These guys are getting lapped by Donald Trump. It’s not even close, it’s not even interesting.”

Newsome would go on to say, “And I think what’s most interesting to me is do they recognize that or are they actually going to show up and run against the guy that’s in the way of their prospects to be the nominee? It’s a zero-sum game. It’s a binary choice at the end of the day. It’s not ranked-choice voting.”

Adding, “So either these guys come after the front runner and distinguish themselves or otherwise they’re wasting everybody’s time. I say this with love and respect, there’s a reason some of the advertising is being discounted for this debate. People don’t want to tune in because they know that fundamentally.”

Debate’s Chaotic Nature

• The debate, held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, was characterized by disorder, with candidates often talking over each other and moderators struggling to maintain control.
• Newsom’s observations pointed to a lack of compelling competition against Trump, contributing to a disengaged audience.