Sean Hannity and Gavin Newsom found something to share chuckles and raised eyebrows over when the Fox News host accidentally referred to the current California governor as if he were already President of the United States.
At the governor’s mansion in Sacramento, Newsom sat with the “Hannity” host for a longform interview that aired in two parts late last week. Their rapid-fire, [CROSSTALK]-filled conversation went through a series of twists and turns, including a moment when the Fox News host accidentally made a Newsom presidency a foregone conclusion.
“How much does the state of California have for a death tax?” Hannity asked.
“I don’t know,” Newsom responded. “When Ronald Reagan was governor, livin’ in here – “
“I’m asking when Gavin Newsom is president.”
Newsom didn’t pick up on it at first: “Let me say this, I – ” he began to answer.
That’s when Hannity self-corrected: “I mean when Gavin Newsom is governor. Slip of the tongue!”
Newsom certainly appreciated that moment, chuckling, smiling and raising his eyebrows in the immediate aftermath of the unearned honorific.
Newsom has stated repeatedly that he is not running for the Democratic nomination, despite taking out ads in faraway lands like Florida, and routinely addressing national issues on Twitter and other platforms. He wouldn’t even take the bait when Hannity tried to side-door him into speaking as a theoretical Commander-in-Chief.
“If you were president and China wants to fulfill their territorial ambition and take Taiwan, what would you do?” Hannity asked.
“I’m not going to get into the – ” Newsom began to say.
“Why?”
“That’s a more nuanced and complicated thing,” Newsom said. “That’s for a presidential aspirant to answer.”
Hannity then tried the direct route: “Under no circumstances would you consider running for president – running for the Democratic nomination?”
“No,” Newsom replied.
“None?”
“None, not after this conversation,” he replied.
Watch the entire exchange in the video above.
