Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown told Newsmax on Wednesday he wasn't surprised that Democrats lost the presidential election in November, and that regardless of their candidate, they would have lost because President Donald Trump "is too smart, too clever."
Brown, 91, speaking to "Finnerty" amid the ongoing riots in Los Angeles following Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in the city, added that Trump's political skills continue to make the Democratic Party look bad.
"We Democrats would probably have lost that election, no matter who our candidate was going to be," said Brown, a Democrat and longtime power broker in California who was mayor of San Francisco from 1996 to 2004. "Donald Trump was just too smart, too clever.
"And he's playing that same game again. And believe me, it's causing us to look awfully bad under these circumstances."
Brown said had such riots occurred in San Francisco when he was mayor, he would not have allowed them to get out of control. Trump activated the California National Guard and deployed Marines to Los Angeles in response to the rioting.
"Let me be clear: I do believe the police department that I was in charge of would never allow anyone, no matter what political side they're on, to do some of the things that are being done," he said. "They would be right out of the box addressing the issue in a way that would provide for the public safety of the people who are in their city."
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a political protégé of Brown who succeeded him as San Francisco mayor, serving two terms, has contemplated running for president in 2028. Brown said Newsom's response to the rioting in Los Angeles should not affect his political future.
"Gavin Newsom will be a good candidate," Brown said. "Whether or not he will win the presidency clearly will depend upon how well he does at getting the votes of the people.
"Kamala Harris, whom I said had a great future, clearly she did not deliver the message to the public in the way in which she should, and as effectively she lost the election to Donald Trump.
"That will be the fate of every Democrat who doesn't address the needs of the people of this nation."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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