Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) has accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) of “code-switching” his accent to attempt to enchantment to Black folks.
Showing Monday on conservative political commentator Benny Johnson’s podcast, “The Benny Show,” the dialog kicked off after host Johnson slammed Newsom for supposedly attempting to change his voice not too long ago on the “All the Smoke” podcast hosted by ex-NBA gamers Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
After Johnson known as Newsom an “elitist, white left-wing lib[eral]” and argued that he’s “by no means heard him discuss like this earlier than” the politician’s look on the podcast, Hunt bluntly responded, “We name this code-switching.”
Johnson then interjected to proceed poking enjoyable on the “cringe” interview, asking Hunt why he thinks “this occurs a lot.”
“That is precisely what you nailed. That is the efforts of white benevolent liberals that don’t view us as equal in any respect — and by us, I imply Black folks,” Hunt mentioned. “They discuss right down to us. They assume we’re too silly to get an ID to vote, they assume that we’re incapable of following the legislation, they all the time wish to give us handouts as an alternative of hand-ups.”
The GOP consultant went on to declare that the “white, benevolent liberal” is the “most racist particular person” that he’s “ever seen within the historical past of this nation.”
Arguing that “lots of them don’t even comprehend it,” Hunt continued: “The condescending tone during which they handle us is totally ridiculous.”
“They assume they’ll now discuss to 2 Black basketball stars after which now abruptly ‘I’m a brother now too as a result of I’m hip and I’m down,’” he continued. “And to be sincere with you, it’s fairly condescending, it’s truly fairly disgusting.”
Noting that “Black males can assume for ourselves,” Hunt added, “The one factor I would like from you is to deal with us as equals and to respect us.”
Newsom’s workplace didn’t instantly reply to HuffPost’s request for remark.
Throughout his interview on “All of the Smoke,” which aired Oct. 25, Newsom opened up about his childhood and detailed being raised by his mom, who he mentioned “got here from no cash and simply hustled” with “two and a half jobs” to pay the payments.
“It was additionally about paying the payments, man. It was similar to hustling, and so I used to be on the market type of elevating myself, turning on the TV … began, you recognize, simply getting obsessed. [I was] sitting there with the Marvel Bread,” he mentioned.
Newsom’s remarks drew laughter from host Jackson, who mentioned he may relate, prompting the California Democrat to double down on sharing recollections of his childhood.
“Come on, the macaroni and cheese. That is how I grew up, bro. Each day within the yard simply bouncing the basketball, throwing the ball in opposition to the wall till the ball is rather like frayed … that’s it. Complete factor,” Newsom added.
Newsom’s remarks confronted backlash on-line, with some X customers pointing out that the political chief’s dad, William Newsom, labored as an lawyer for the Getty oil firm.
A spokesperson for Newsom fired again on the criticism.
“Anybody with greater than an inch of curiosity would know that Governor Newsom was raised by his mom after her divorce from his father when he was a toddler,” the spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to the Daily Mail. “He has talked about shifting between two completely different worlds, however he was raised by a mom who labored three jobs at one level — secretary, waitress, and paralegal.”
Watch Hunt’s look on “The Benny Present” under:
