Becerra Says No to Military Aid for Israel in Offbeat Interview With The Standard's Comedy Correspondent

Xavier Becerra, the Democratic candidate for California governor, sat down with Sophia Garrow, The San Francisco Standard's comedy correspondent, for an interview that mixed policy questions with jokes and conspiracy-theory bait. About 40 seconds in, Becerra asked whether Garrow was going to ask about his platform. The interviewer did, among many other things.

The most newsworthy moment came during a game built around whether Becerra could dodge questions. Asked whether the United States should provide military aid to Israel, he did not dodge. "The way they're acting, no," he said.

Garrow also pressed Becerra on his record, asking whether he struggles to keep track of things and might benefit from AirTags. The Standard's account of the exchange notes that he lost track of 85,000 migrant children under President Biden and that his former chief of staff was caught taking $225,000 from his account.

On campaign money, Becerra acknowledged substantial corporate funding from oil companies such as Chevron. He said there are some donors he would refuse, but his answer on Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, ran longer. Becerra sued the company as California's attorney general, yet he said he would take its money now if it is "a legitimate business" that is not "destroying lives." He framed it as a matter of redemption: "If you commit a crime and you serve your time, you get to come out."

Garrow asked whether Becerra's Republican opponent, Steve Hilton, can be trusted with the fourth-largest economy in the world. Becerra said no, joking that Hilton would eat a tamale with the husk still on.

The interview also touched on San Francisco's mayor. Becerra's website lists an endorsement from Mayor "David" Lurie, though the mayor's name is Daniel. Asked about his relationship with "David," Becerra said it was "growing, growing." He added that San Franciscans would say the mayor has, on the whole, been good for the city.

Garrow had Becerra guess the price of a six-bedroom, six-bathroom, 5,600-square-foot mansion. He said $8 million. The actual figure was $9.1 million, and the house belongs to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Becerra came closer on that than on the prices of the sleeping pods and jail cell-inspired apartments Garrow also showed him. Asked whether he has been inside Newsom's house, he answered, "Obviously not." He said he has not been invited and is not upset about it.

The interview closed with a segment on whether Becerra has charm, or "rizz." Garrow handed him a pickup line to read: "Girl, are you Medicare? Because I'd literally die without you." Becerra liked it enough to keep it. He said he planned to put a couple of glasses of wine on the table that night and try it on his wife of 40 years, Dr. Carolina Reyes.