Newsom takes veiled shot at Harris, says memoir twisted their texting exchange to boost book sales

Gov. Gavin Newsom accused Kamala Harris of embellishing a texting exchange between them in her memoir "107 Days," telling Axios in a Thursday interview that her account offered only "a little shot as to the actual truth" of what actually happened.

The dispute centers on a moment Harris described in her book: after learning Joe Biden dropped his presidential reelection bid, she called Newsom. According to her memoir, he texted back "Hiking. Will call back." She claims he never did.

Newsom remembers it differently.

"I remember texting her back, and I said, 'Kamala, I've already put out a statement supporting you.'"

He called himself "the last person you need to talk to," suggesting his public endorsement had already made a private conversation unnecessary. Then he twisted the knife, gently but unmistakably, speculating about why Harris included the anecdote at all.

"For whatever reason, she added that in, and it created some color for the book."

"It certainly helped her book sales, not my component part, but that book has done unbelievably well."

The Nicest Knife in California Politics

What makes this exchange remarkable isn't the substance. It's the style. Newsom managed to call Harris a liar, suggest she did it for money, and wrap the whole thing in the language of admiration. According to the New York Post, he insisted the two Democrats "have a great relationship" stretching back "more than 20 years." He reminded everyone that he introduced her at the last Democratic National Convention and formally gave her enough votes to secure the presidential nomination.

Then, with a smile you can practically hear through the transcript:

"When she goes, she goes first. And I've always understood that and that's wonderful."

That sentence does a lot of work. On the surface, it's gracious. Underneath, it's a man positioning himself as the patient heir who let someone else go first, and watched her lose.

Newsom also acknowledged he hasn't fully read Harris's book, which is either an honest admission or its own kind of message. When a political rival publishes a memoir that features you as a character, not reading it is a choice.

2028 Is Already Underway

None of this is happening in a vacuum. Both Newsom and Harris are potential contenders for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, and every public remark they make about each other carries that weight. Newsom is promoting his own memoir, "Young Man in a Hurry," a title that tells you everything about his ambitions without requiring you to open the cover.

Their relationship has reportedly been marked by awkwardness and friction since the release of Harris's memoir, according to the New York Times. Newsom's interview with Axios did nothing to reduce that friction. He just applied better packaging.

This is what Democratic intraparty warfare looks like in 2026: two California politicians, both nationally ambitious, publicly disagreeing over who texted whom and when, while insisting they're the best of friends. Newsom says the texting exchange was "the ultimate affirmation of that relationship." If that's what affirmation looks like in their world, the 2028 primary should be spectacular.

What Conservatives Should Watch

For conservatives, this is worth monitoring for reasons beyond entertainment value, though the entertainment value is considerable. The Democratic bench for 2028 is thin, and its two most prominent California figures are already relitigating 2024 grievances through competing book tours. Harris lost a presidential race. Newsom governed California into an exodus of residents and businesses. Neither has a compelling record to run on, so they're running against each other's memoirs instead.

The deeper pattern here is one the left can never quite escape: a party that talks endlessly about unity fractures the moment personal ambition enters the room. Newsom and Harris aren't arguing about policy. They aren't debating ideas. They're arguing about a text message. About who supported whom fast enough. About whose version of a phone call gets to be the official record.

That's not a party preparing to govern. That's a party preparing for a custody battle.

The California Post reached out to Harris's office for comment. None was provided. Some silences speak for themselves.