California gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner is back into the swing of her campaign after spending weeks filming a reality show in Australia, and it appears she’s desperately trying to make up for lost time.
Jenner spent the last two days making vanity political stops and separating herself from her competitors in the recall election for the top spot in Sacramento that is now 30 days away. She also attacked members of the media and current Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) online for much of the day.
Related: Gay Trump official Ric Grenell announces he won’t run for governor of California in recall election
Jenner first spent that time deriding people experiencing homelessness in Venice Beach on August 12, mocking the “dilapidated campers” there.
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She then accused journalists of being “pro-Gavin” for reporting on her. Politico California senior writer Carla Marinucci simply noted in a tweet at a press conference that Jenner’s note pad read, “why running? Hope.”
Jenner lashed out, accusing her of “the PR arm” of Gov. Newsom.
You are the PR arm, most biased, pro-Gavin. We need hope unlike your corrupt governor. I am running for hope – what’s the issue with that?
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) August 12, 2021
She then visited California’s southern border area with Mexico and touted her promise to strengthen border security as governor.
“I commend everyone at border control and I would like them to know me as governor. I would support them one hundred percent,” Jenner said at a press conference on the stop.
She claimed that, in addition to seeing people experiencing homelessness, seeing people cross the American-Mexican border spurred Jenner to run for Governor.
“I was laying in bed and I was watching what was happening at the border — people dying, drowning and kids in cages,” she told media gathered in Otay Mesa with her, “It was bad policies and bad outcomes.”
#HappeningNow Border authorities greeting gubernatorial candidate @Caitlyn_Jenner in Otay Mesa – @fox5sandiego pic.twitter.com/dGo1Gxjqcg
— Jason Sloss (@JasonSlossFOX5) August 13, 2021
Jenner pledged to “fund” the “completion” of the border wall, at least in California, if she was to become governor.
“We don’t have a state, we do not have a country unless we have a secure border, Bottom line. That’s it,” Jenner stated.
On the visit, and after, Jenner sent several tweets attacking Newsom, calling him different names and promising to unseat the “pathetic failure.”
@GavinNewsom you are a pathetic failure and have never even been to our states border where this is a massive crisis. I am proud to be here and provide leadership when elected. pic.twitter.com/vae8kVElrv
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) August 13, 2021
@GavinNewsom you are a failed leader and far too arrogant to even meet with our border patrol and address their concerns
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) August 13, 2021
At border now and people illegally entering! As governor I will finish the wall with state funds! @GavinNewsom has failed us allowing illegal immigration to run rampant in our state pic.twitter.com/SPd2gYhruj
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) August 13, 2021
@GavinNewsom is a failed leader. Close our border finish the wall. The materials are there waiting! As governor I will close the gaps in our wall and advocate for LEGAL immigration pic.twitter.com/0wb6nzHwP5
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) August 13, 2021
Her promise to complete the wall did not go over well with many people that seemed to hope to support her.
Respectfully. I see people trying their hardest to survive and to give their children a future. Imagine Ellis Island with a closed sign?
— Gary Allen (@garyallen262) August 13, 2021
Honestly, same! I unfollowed after this.. this is the country people come to for fresh starts and we have been that way for decades, it’s just upsetting to see people try and change that. Whether they finish the wall or not, people will still get in to the country they always do
— jill (@itsjillpickle) August 14, 2021
I hope you realize that if it wasn't for immigration, you wouldn't be in this country. This country belonged to Native Americans!
— christinekie (@Kanerbaby) August 14, 2021
And there was me thinking you were a nice person, thank you for clearing that up for me 🤦🏼♀️
— Sally Hopson (@SallyHopson) August 13, 2021
Where’s the compassion where’s the humanity in all of this
How about offering to help these people crossing over with water food shelter
They are people with hope dreams just like you and me
It doesn’t matter weather they are legal or illegal they are people first— Andrew Martin (@Ovait007Martin) August 13, 2021
PLEASE WTH happened to you Caitlyn? What happened to your kindness? You used to be so compassionate. So disappointed in you. Just saying.
— Heather Johnson (@heatherj750) August 13, 2021
Jenner also did a 180 on a tweet she sent on August 11.
At the time, when “Inside California Politics” revealed that Jenner was the only candidate in the recall election yet to respond to their request to be in a debate, she tweeted to them that she didn’t want to participate because “All recall candidates are on the same team. Gavin is the only opponent.”
However, at her stop at the California southern border, Jenner made a point to separate herself from Larry Elder, a candidate further to the right of her but currently leading in some polling for the recall election, if it were to succeed.
Decline. I will not be doing any debates unless @GavinNewsom is present. All recall candidates are on the same team. Gavin is the only opponent.
— Caitlyn Jenner (@Caitlyn_Jenner) August 11, 2021
“Unlike Elder, I have no secrets,” she said. “I did a book titled ‘Secrets of My Life,’ a few years ago, I told every secret and I don’t have a single secret left in my life.”
Jenner suggested that Elder has “secrets” of some kind while she does not. She said she “wonders” about him “right now because she knows him” from “being a conservative, very conservative radio host. I don’t know anything beyond that.”
“I think for California, what they’re looking for is a person who’s more center right, and that is me,” Jenner claimed.
SFGate did not get any response to requests for comment from Jenner’s campaign.
—@Caitlyn_Jenner says unlike @larryelder, “”I have no secrets” ..Says she and voters don’t know much about him pic.twitter.com/iABVAiyd1A
— Carla Marinucci (@cmarinucci) August 12, 2021
A likely factor in Jenner’s sudden change in her comradery with her recall competitors is the publishing of the Los Angeles Times‘ editorial board’s endorsement in the recall election. The paper with several million subscribers explicitly said that a recall “would doom the state to months of political and bureaucratic dysfunction and economic uncertainty.”
They don’t endorse that course of action, asking California voters to vote ‘no’ on Question 1, just as the Sacramento Bee concluded in a prior editorial.
If enough people vote ‘yes’ on Question 1 and the recall effort succeeds anyway, the Times gave their tentative endorsement to Kevin Faulconer out of the seven recall candidates. They deem him a “moderate Republican” because he is the “least bad option in a recall field that ranges from the merely bad to the utterly catastrophic.”
The Times deems Jenner “a clueless lightweight, who demonstrates little knowledge of how the state works or the scope of, and limitations on, the governor’s powers. It wouldn’t do the LGBTQ community any favors to have her fail spectacularly as leader of the state.”
The editorial board noted that they were able to evaluate all candidates with in-person meetings — with the exception of Jenner.
"The editorial board members have met with six of seven leading candidates (Caitlyn Jenner’s campaign did not respond to our invitation)." https://t.co/5k8BycL88v
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 13, 2021
LAT edit board gives a qualified endorsement to @Kevin_Faulconer for voters who feel like they need a choice on the second part of the ballot: "The least bad option in a recall field that ranges from the merely bad to the utterly catastrophic."
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) August 13, 2021
The lack of endorsements for Jenner so far isn’t surprising, but her apparent uninterest in appealing to a large group of voters and promoting her campaign in two of California’s most influential publications may come back to haunt her.
That does not bolster Jenner’s position as the “center-right” candidate, especially as she has already consistently polled in the single digits since announcing her campaign in April.
As of last week, she was tied for fifth place among GOP contenders with three percent support.