CNN
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Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Sunday pushed back on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s argument that their party is “getting crushed on narrative” by Republicans and right-wing media outlets.
“You know what? He’s out there in California right now, and I am out here and been all over Ohio with Tim Ryan, in Pennsylvania with John Fetterman, with Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin and Cheri Beasley in North Carolina. I think either we are ahead in these races or we are in striking distance,” Klobuchar told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union,” referring to Democratic Senate nominees in key contests.
“We’re going to win these races. So he can talk about all he wants out there. I am in the middle of it,” the Minnesota Democrat added.
Newsom told CBS in a recent interview that he agreed with the sentiment that a red wave was likely in this year’s midterm elections.
“It goes to my fundamental grievance with my damn party. We’re getting crushed on narrative. We’re going to have to do better in terms of getting on the offense and stop being on the damn defense,” the California governor said.
Newsom also said in September at the Texas Tribune Festival that the GOP was “winning right now” as that party controls the national conversation – arguing that Democrats’ failure to offer a “compelling alternative narrative” has put the “entire rights agenda” of the last half-century at risk.
On Sunday, Klobuchar was asked about her party’s strategy of boosting some Republican candidates during the primary season this year in hopes they would be easier to defeat in the general election. Bash brought up the example of Democrats spending money to benefit Republican Don Bolduc in the primary in New Hampshire now that he is locked in a tight race against incumbent Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan.
“I’m not going to at one moment concede this race because Maggie has been ahead every step of the way,” Klobuchar said. “First of all, I’m not going back over past strategy right now two days before the election. … I’m not a big fan of spending money on other candidates and messing around. I will admit that, and I’ve said that.”
Bolduc, a retired Army brigadier general, has consistently pushed election falsehoods, though he has given shifting answers related to false 2020 election claims since securing the Republican nomination.
Klobuchar, who ran for president in 2020, said that she would support President Joe Biden in the 2024 election after CNN reported last week that former President Donald Trump could launch his next presidential bid as soon as this month.
“President Biden has made clear he is running, and I support him,” she said. “And what I will say about this is, Donald Trump cannot be president again. The American people know it.”
