Longtime Democratic strategist David Axelrod, who guided Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, has some sharp critiques of Gavin Newsom as the California governor prepares for a potential White House run.
"Haven't we seen enough self-puffery in our leaders?"Axelrod posted on X this week asNewsom boasted in Davos about standing up to President Trump. "This, 'Why can't people just be as courageous as ME?' routine is tedious."
Why it matters: Axelrod has a hard-earned reputation for saying out loud what many Democrats are saying privately.
Driving the news: It's not the first time he's poked a jab at Newsom, a frontrunner in early polls of potential 2028 Democratic contenders.
When Newsom — who has long been at the vanguard of advocating for LGBTQ people — said last year that allowing transgender women in women's sports presented "an issue of fairness" to other athletes, Axelrod told CNN: "If I were giving the governor advice, I'd say, 'You know, don't be so overt that people can see the wheels turning.' "
"The obvious question would be: 'Well, you've been governor of California for six years, you were lieutenant governor for many years before that, when did you have this epiphany?' And the answer is, when he found that the Republicans could weaponize the issue," Axelrod said then.
Axelrod told Axios: "Newsom is enormously talented. He did a gutsy thing in responding to Trump's redistricting ploy," referring to the successful ballot measure in California that could add up to five Democratic seats in Congress in the midterms.
But Axelrod added: "Authenticity is an essential quality in any presidential candidate. And after Trump, I believe humility will be, too."
A spokesperson for Newsom declined to comment.
Flashback: Axelrod has long gotten under the skin of prominent Democrats by speaking his mind rather than reflexively defending party leaders.
In June 2022, he sent the Biden White House into a fit when he suggested the president was too old to run for reelection (Biden later called him a "prick," Politico reported).
"The presidency is a monstrously taxing job, and the stark reality is the president would be closer to 90 than 80 at the end of a second term, and that would be a major issue," Axelrod told the New York Times then.
In 2015 and 2016, Axelrod's commentary angered some Hillary Clinton staffers.
Axelrod also said Clinton's "grinding, tactical" campaign made it "hard to inspire" voters. "'Hillary: Live With It' is no rallying cry," Axelrod said.
After Clinton lost to Trump, many of her supporters acknowledged he had been right in his 2016 analysis — even if they didn't like hearing it at the time.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is facing a backlash from Democratic Party leaders over his recent claim that he faced additional scrutiny to become Kamala Harris' vice-presidential nominee because he's Jewish.
Why it matters: Shapiro's account in his new book has exposed some of the tension over antisemitism within the party that's likely to play out in the 2028 presidential primary — which could include at least three Jewish candidates.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is wildly popular with voters in his critical battleground state. But among some top Democrats there who know him personally, feelings are lukewarm — sometimes even resentful.
Tim Alberta, a reporter for The Atlantic who recently profiled Shapiro, told us he "was really surprised by how unpopular he is with elected Democrats in Pennsylvania."
"There are lots of people the governor counts as allies — people who raise money for him, support his reelection campaign, say all the right things publicly — who have serious beefs with him privately."
Why it matters: The behind-the-scenes ill will toward Shapiro, who just launched a multi-city book tour, could haunt the governor if he runs for president in 2028, as many expect.
Within hours of a Border Patrol agent's killing of Alex Pretti on Saturday, Minnesota officials launched a series of extraordinary legal maneuvers to stake local authorities' claim to investigate the shooting.
Why it matters: The moves are meant to counter what state officials and legal experts framed as unprecedented obstruction by federal authorities surrounding a shooting investigation that — under most circumstances — would involve state and local authorities.
A Minnesota gun-rights group accused Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI director Kash Patel of spreading misinformation about the right to bear arms at protests.
Leaders at Target and other Minnesota-based companies called for federal and state cooperation to ease tensions amid the outrage over the ongoing immigration operation and the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents.
Why it matters: The milquetoast letter is unlikely to appease local employees, activists and Minnesotans. However it does signal a potential linchpin moment for the return of corporate activism.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) is terminating her reelection campaign after months of speculation that she would retire from Congress rather than seek reelection, according to a new campaign filing.
Why it matters: The 88-year-old non-voting delegate has been subject to an intense pressure campaign from both colleagues in Congress and allies in Washington, D.C., to step down.
Why it matters: The Trump administration isn't waiting for an investigation before sharing conclusions about the Jan. 7 killing of Renee Nicole Good and the Jan. 24 killing of Alex Pretti.
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from "destroying or altering" evidence related to the fatal shooting of a protester by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis in an order late Saturday.
The big picture: At stake is whether states can investigate federal agents who use deadly force within their borders. The dispute marks an extraordinary breakdown in federal–state cooperation.
A House Democratic caucus call on Sunday lit up with calls to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and travel to Minnesota in support of anti-ICE protesters after the shooting of Alex Pretti, sources told Axios.
Why it matters: A series of violent incidents involving ICE and Border Patrol agents has infuriated Democrats and accelerated the mainstreaming of what were once radical proposals.
Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino praised federal agents who fatally shot Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti, insisting without explanation or evidence Sunday that Pretti was "there for a reason."
The big picture: For thesecond time this month, videos of a Minnesota resident being shot by federal agents contradict the narrative federal officials pushed. Both times, officials doubled down with ramped-up rhetoric.
After federal agents shot and killed a Minneapolis man allegedly carrying a concealed weapon, gun rights groups countered a federal narrative that his firearm likely justified deadly force.
The big picture: The right to publicly carry weapons is a centerpiece of Second Amendment advocacy and has emerged as a key issue in the shooting of 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti.
Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Republican eyeing a 2028 White House run, torched Vice President Vance and ridiculed President Trump's tariff policy during private meetings with donors, according to recordings obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: Cruz's rebukes, during two meetings last year, are some of the harshest criticisms of Trump and Vance by a fellow Republican since they took office a year ago.
A 28-year-old man has been charged with multiple felony counts for allegedly assaulting Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) at the Sundance Film Festival on Friday, according to court documents obtained by Axios and statements from Frost and local law enforcement.
Zoom out: The incident comes after a tumultuous year in which fears of violence on Capitol Hill and demands for increased security for lawmakers surged following a series of high-profile political shootings.
Cremations are now twice as common as burials in the U.S., reversing a norm from two decades ago, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.
Why it matters: Shifting attitudes around religion, cost and the environment are reshaping how Americans handle death.
Federal agents shot and killed a 37-year-old man in South Minneapolis on Saturday morning, per state and local officials and witness video from the scene.
The big picture: The shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti, a Minneapolis resident and U.S. citizen,further inflamed tensions over the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Saturday that the state will conduct its own investigation into the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis man by federal immigration agents.
The big picture: This is the second time this month local law enforcement said federal agencies have refused to cooperate while investigating the shooting death of a state resident by federal officials.
Why it matters: The Senate was planning on an up-or-down vote next week on a six-bill package to avoid a shutdown on Jan. 31. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on Saturday that Democrats would block the funding bill if DHS funding is included.
