"Multiple former officials, speaking anonymously, criticized Becerra's handling of major crises during his time leading the Department of Health and Human Services, claiming he often took a backseat during pandemic response efforts and struggled in meetings with the White House. He ran one of the most consequential agencies in government at the height of the pandemic, said one official. But he took a backseat to Dr. Fauci and his team, didn't visibly lead on implementation and had to go through layers to get to POTUS even as a Cabinet member."
"A lot of people in the Biden administration are talking about this because they realize that he was not an effective HHS secretary, Hinojosa said. And if you ask any Cabinet secretary, they would tell you the same thing. Fellow candidate Tom Steyer reiterated the sentiment on social media the following day. Xavier Becerra's colleagues don't trust him, he said. Why should you? Xavier Becerra's colleagues don't trust him. Why should you? pic.twitter.com/rfAW2q1Z2R Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) May 6, 2026"
"Former Biden officials have been privately gossiping about Xavier Becerra's rise in the governor's race, with several former colleagues describing the ex-HHS secretary as ineffective and unprepared in his response to the COVID pandemic and other crises. As Politico reports, Becerra's former colleagues said his gubernatorial campaign has become a recurring topic in alumni group chats as his polling improves. The criticism spilled into public view this week after rival gubernatorial candidate Matt Mahan referenced Becerra's record during a CNN debate."
Former Biden officials privately exchanged gossip about Xavier Becerra’s rise in a governor’s race. Several former colleagues described him as ineffective and unprepared in his response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other crises. They said he often took a backseat during pandemic response efforts, did not visibly lead implementation, and had difficulty navigating meetings with the White House. They characterized his role at the Department of Health and Human Services as consequential during the pandemic but said he still had to go through layers to reach the President. The criticism became more public after rival candidate Matt Mahan referenced his record during a CNN debate, followed by public comments from Xochitl Hinojosa and support from Tom Steyer. Allies including Ron Klain and Neera Tanden pushed back on the negative characterization.
#xavier-becerra #covid-19-response #department-of-health-and-human-services #biden-administration #governors-race
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