Ben Smith

Did you just reject the idea that these blue states are spending more for less results?

For instance, you're supporting the mayor of L.A.

for reelection after these terrible fires that a lot of your citizens do feel was part and part because of government mismanagement.

Do you just reject that narrative that the government isn't anything for you at these times?

And probably the biggest governance issue, policy issue, fueling right-wing parties in the United States around the country is immigration.

And I think liberal parties, again, in the U.S.

and around the world,

had a posture of welcoming immigrants that it just turned out a lot of Americans, a lot of Californians, but more Americans, are unhappy with.

Illegal immigration, the out-of-control border.

But also, it's the last issue on which Trump, though his numbers have been sliding, remained somewhat popular.

And I guess I wonder, do you think that your party went too far or that you went too far?

And I think, for instance, in extending Medi-Cal to the California legislature,

health care program to undocumented immigrants?

Well, two different questions.

I guess on the big picture and the small picture.

And some of those first round draft picks got incredible contracts and are now in, made quite a lot of money and are now very freaked out, threatening to leave California over a proposal that just to be clear, you oppose to tax, for a sort of one time tax on the wealth of

the very, very, very wealthy Californians.

And I guess I want to ask you two questions.

One is I was talking to somebody progressive here who said, you know, this guy's basically a fake populist.

He talks a good game about the billionaires.