Plus: FedEx downplays Amazon’s entrance to logistics market; McDonald’s names first pro sports stadium in America.
A month ago, Xavier Becerra was garnering just 5% of the vote in the California governor’s race. Then Eric Swalwell dropped out of the race after accusations of sexual misconduct, and Becerra became the Democratic frontrunner overnight.
That process comes with growing pains.
Becerra, who formerly served as secretary of Health and Human Services under Joe Biden, had an awkward on-camera exchange during an interview with LA TV station KTLA.
“By the way, this is a profile piece, this is not a gotcha piece, right?” Becerra asked reporter Annie Rose Ramos in footage published by KTLA.
“Well, look, I think these questions are fair. It’s in order to learn about you as a candidate,” Ramos responded. Becerra pressed again, insisting that the questions be “about the profile.” Ramos said she isn’t sure how he defines profile, but that she’d like to start the interview.
“The way I describe profile is you talk about all the things that I’ve done, things I want to do, and along with some tough questions. But not only tough questions,” Becerra explains condescendingly to the journalist.
Becerra’s campaign issued a statement trying to clean up the stumble: “Unlike other candidates in the race, Becerra sticks around even when the questions get tough,” campaign spokesperson Jonathan Underland told the New York Times. “He’s proven over decades in public service that he will always show up, take questions and defend the right of journalists to do their jobs.”
This isn’t the first time a California gubernatorial candidate has been caught sparring with the press over interviews. Last year, Democrat Katie Porter threatened to walk out of an interview over follow-up questions. Porter never recovered from the gaffe and is now polling at 9%.
Why it matters: A reporter’s job is to ask tough questions.
The job of a political candidate, executive leader or spokesperson is to find ways to defuse those questions.
Too often, principals focus too much on controlling how the media acts in interviews. They want the questions in advance. They want certain topics off limits. They want to know that the questions won’t only be “tough.”
That’s not the way to succeed.
By asking these questions up front, Becerra put Ramos on notice: he wasn’t ready for tough questions. He wanted something softer, a narrated version of his resume and platform. Which is, in fact, what the final piece is. But it also probed things like why he did not have a published plan for addressing homelessness and how he earned the nickname “the invisible secretary” during his time at HHS. These are fair and reasonable questions for someone running to lead the most populous state in the union.
The way to prepare principals for these moments is by instilling into them that they are not in control of the questions they’re asked during an interview — but they are in charge of how they respond. They should be ready and assume every question will be a tough one. They should have ready answers to criticism and be ready to bridge back to their main points.
Because Becerra could not relinquish that control, he took what was otherwise an unremarkable local news interview and turned it into a negative New York Times headline.
Oh, and remind principles: The media can use any and all footage or commentary you say, even if you don’t think the interview has formally started yet. So, choose your words wisely.
Editor’s Top Reads:
- CEO Raj Subramaniam showed a much more confident way of brushing aside business concerns and reframing a conversation in a more positive light. Subramaniam appeared on CNBC’s “Mad Money” to allay concerns about the new Amazon Supply Chain Services, which expands Amazon’s logistics and shipping services outside those selling on the platform. Many saw this as a direct threat to FedEx’s business, and shares tumbled 9% after the announcement. Subramaniam, however, presented a calm exterior and refocused the conversation on the differences in the offerings. “The true network is something you can pick up in any one part of the world and get it to any other part of the world in a couple of days,” he said. “For that, you need a system like what we have here and the networks around the world.” Amazon’s services, he said, are quite different — and while there is some overlap with what FedEx offers, it’s a small part of the business, representing a small portion of the company’s overall revenue. Even as he downplayed Amazon’s announcement, he kept the focus on the profitable relationship the companies share: “They’re a very valuable customer. We’re very much a win-win relationship.” Subramaniam had a fine line to walk: reaffirming the strength of the core business, downplaying Amazon’s announcement but not offending them enough to jeopardize their partnership. He walked it well and was prepared for tough questions.
- McDonald’s has entered into its first-ever naming deal for an American professional sports stadium. The Chicago Fire Football Club will soon kick off in McDonald’s Park, the Wall Street Journal reported. “It’s a strong signal of our commitment to the community, our commitment to Chicago,” said Morgan Flatley, McDonald’s global chief marketing officer. That commitment had been in question in recent years, as the Chicago-headquartered restaurant chain criticized the direction of the city, even offering an oblique threat in an op-ed to leave the city over a proposed business tax. The tax failed, and now McDonald’s is all-in on Chicago, citing the naming deal’s additional money for soccer in local schools as part of the appeal. It’s likely also not a coincidence that McDonald’s is investing in soccer right before the North American-hosted World Cup could trigger an explosion of interest in the sport. It’s a PR move that will keep the golden arches as part of the conversation around soccer and Chicago for years to come.
- Meta is under increasing scrutiny for profiting off scam ads that often prey on the elderly. A new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate found that Meta earned $14.3 million in 2025 just from Medicare scam ads, which mostly target those 65 and older. The report found that scam accounts had an average of 151 fraudulent ads each. When they were eventually removed, they were allowed to post nearly identical copies. If they were eventually deleted altogether, the old accounts could simply launch new ones. In a statement provided to NBC News, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone called scam tactics “sophisticated” and designed to evade detection. “We aggressively fight scams on and off our platforms because they’re not good for us or the people and businesses that rely on our services,” he said. He touted that the company removed 92% of scam ads before anyone reported them — but not before they were seen by the public. As social media companies are under increased scrutiny and regulation, these kinds of defensive statements may not be enough. Rather than saying it’s hard and they’re trying, more proactive statements are needed.
Allison Carter is editorial director of PR Daily and Ragan.com. Follow her on LinkedIn.
The post The Scoop: Another California gubernatorial candidate gets fussy with the media appeared first on PR Daily.
