A Los Angeles Times columnist has sparked outrage after saying black Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder is pushing for a 'white supremacist worldview' and that he poses a 'very real threat to communities of color.'
Jean Guerrero appeared on CNN's 'Reliable Sources' to talk about the California governor recall election taking place on September 14.
At one point, host Brian Stelter asks Guerrero about Elder, who has been subject of criticism by Los Angeles Times opinion writers for his conservative agenda.
Stelter asked whether Elder was able to run a 'Trump playbook' in the state to get around the often negative media coverage of him and reach voters. Guerrero agreed and claimed that Elder 'has been essentially running his campaign on Fox News.'
'He's refused to talk to non-partisan media outlets and to journalists who are critical of him, has refused to answer difficult questions, often uses the few interviews that he does give as an opportunity to give a performance on social media, denouncing those journalists, playing the victim,' Guerrero said.
Los Angeles Times columnist Jean Guerrero described conservative African American political pundit Larry Elder as a 'white supremacist' in his bid to win against current Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in California’s upcoming recall election.
In late August, Elder dismissed a column published in the LA Times that called him 'the Black face of white supremacy' and said in response that the liberal press is 'scared to death' by the prospect that a 'black guy from the hood who went to public school, might break the stranglehold that the Democrats have had on Black and brown voters here in California.'
Guerrero criticized Elder for 'refusing to engage' with the substance of the criticism.
'He has been able to reach the minority of voters in California who embrace his white supremacist worldview. He's co-opted this line by my fellow columnist from the headline calling him 'the Black face of White supremacy' but he refuses to engage with the actual substance of our reporting,' Guerrero said.
Guerrero then added that Elder 'poses a very real threat to communities of color.'
'You know, the idea that his views were shaped by a well-known white supremacist named Jared Taylor who he repeatedly quoted in early writings, that he plans to reverse all the state's progress on immigrant rights and social justice and that he poses a very real threat to communities of color for all of the reasons we've reported in the past,' Guerrero said.
Stelter responded that 'clearly, the LA Times opinion folks have been very much against Elder.'
Guerrero's comments caused backlash on Twitter, with users hitting out at her description of a black candidate as a 'white supremacist.'
LA Times columnist Jean Guerrero sparked outrage on Twitter after saying Larry Elder is pushing 'white supremacist worldview' and poses 'real threat to communities of color'
One viewer wrote on Twitter: 'A white woman calling a black man a white supremacist? Like Larry Elder or not, if you don't, say that you don't like him and why. But this has got to be a joke, unless the complete definition of a white supremacist has change that drastically.'
Some viewers also hit out at Stelter for not challenging Guerrero's remarks.
One wrote: 'Did Guerrero seriously imply that she and the LA Times are “non-partsan,” and then turn around and say Elder (a black man) holds white supremacist views? And Seltzer never challenges her. This is why I stopped watching CNN.'
Another wrote: 'The lack of self awareness at the pure irony of three affluent white people calling a black man a white supremecist (sic) is stunning even for @brianstelter and @CNN.'
Elder, who has repeatedly faced racism claims by the liberal media because of his political views, slammed the LA Times for the coverage of his campaign.
'I anticipated that would happen. This is why a lot of people don't go into politics because of the politics of personal destruction,' Elder told Fox News late last month.
'This is not the first time the L.A. Times has attacked me, there is another writer who all but called me a Black David Duke,' he added. 'They are scared to death.'
Elder, who could become the state's first Black governor, targeted some of his sharpest remarks at what he described as skewed media coverage throughout the length of his campaign.
In July, a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll co-sponsored by the LA Times found that 18 percent of likely voters preferred to vote for Larry Elder when asked to pick their first choice among the candidates hoping to take the helm as California’s next governor
Earlier this week, his walking tour of homeless encampments in LA's Venice Beach neighborhood was cut short after a woman bicyclist wearing a gorilla mask threw an egg toward Elder and then took a swing at a member of his entourage.
The confrontation set off strong reactions on Twitter, with conservatives charging the incident wasn't immediately branded a racist attack because Elder is a conservative.
If he was a Democrat 'it would have been a major story,' Elder said. He also said McGowan's accusations largely have been ignored by the media, but argued that if similar charges had been made about him 'that's all you guys would be talking about.'
'This is a double standard,' he said. 'I'm sick of it.'
PICTURED: A woman wearing a gorilla mask follows conservative talk show host and gubernatorial recall candidate Larry Elder as he walked along streets lined with tents of unhoused people, in the Venice neighborhood of Los Angeles
Moments later, the woman took a swing at a man who appeared to be part of Elder’s team. The man was hit by at least one other heckler just before Elder was escorted into the SUV.
Meanwhile, Elder was in Los Angeles on Sunday, where he was joined by activist and former actress Rose McGowan, who repeated her claims from recent days that Newsom's wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, attempted to persuade her in 2017 not to go public with her allegations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
McGowan, 48, who is known for her role in the 'Scream' movie franchise, was one of the earliest of dozens of women to accuse Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, making her a major figure in the #MeToo movement.
During her appearance, she spoke warmly of Elder and lambasted Hollywood Democrats who she said traumatized her life. She now lives in Mexico.
'Do I agree with him on all points? No,' McGowan said. 'So what. He is the better candidate. He is the better man.'
Rose McGowan (front), a leading figure in the #MeToo movement, accused the wife of Larry Elder's (back) opponent, Governor Gavin Newsom, of trying to silence her about movie producer Harvey Weinstein
Siebel Newsom's office described McGowan's allegations as a 'complete fabrication.' In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Newsom characterized McGowan's claims as a 'last-minute classic hit piece' from one of Elder's supporters.
The governor called Elder desperate and grasping, saying McGowan's claims about his wife 'just shows you how low things go in campaigns these days.'
However, emails posted on Twitter by McGowan showed she had contact with Newsom's wife, which her office confirmed but said their communication was 'as fellow survivors of sexual assault and in Jennifer's former capacity leading the Representation Project, an organization that fights limiting gender stereotypes and norms.'
One of McGowan's key claims is that during a 2017 phone conversation, Newsom's wife referenced a law firm that was working with Weinstein and asked her what the firm could do 'to make you happy.'
Vice President Kamala Harris (left) stands on stage with California Governor Gavin Newsom (center) and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom (right)
McGowan said Sunday she didn't recognize the firm's name at the time. 'I had no idea who that was. So, I just said nothing and hung up on her. That was my last contact with her,' she said.
The election will determine whether Newsom can complete his first term or will be tossed out of office more than a year early. Voters are being asked two questions: Should Newsom be recalled and, if so, who should replace him?
If he gets a majority vote on the first question, the second question with the names of 46 replacement candidate is irrelevant.
Otherwise, the highest vote-getter among the replacement candidates would become governor.
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