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Xavier Becerra draws fierce criticism after attempting to control terms of on-camera interview
By CJ Womack
Published May 13, 2026
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra faced criticism over a tense television interview with Annie Rose Ramos that began with the California gubernatorial candidate questioning whether the segment would be a "gotcha piece."
"By the way, this is a profile piece, this is not a gotcha piece, right?" Becerra asked Ramos before the interview formally began.
The exchange immediately turned awkward when Ramos responded that the questions were intended to help voters learn more about him as a candidate.
"The way I describe profile is you talk about all the things that I’ve done, things I want to do, and along with some tough questions," Becerra said. "But not only tough questions."
Xavier Becerra pauses while answering a question about migrant children during a televised interview with KTLA reporter Annie Rose Ramos. (Leonard Ortiz/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
The interview quickly generated backlash from conservative commentators and Republican activists online, many of whom accused Becerra of appearing defensive and combative during the exchange with Ramos.
Jennifer Van Laar, managing editor of RedState, praised KTLA for airing the full exchange and argued that Becerra briefly showed anger during the interview.
"Wow.... the STATION posted this. And good for them," Van Laar said on X. "There’s a microexpression on his face a few seconds before the end of this clip where you can see his anger briefly, which he quickly replaces with a smile."
Former California Attorney General Xavier Becerra reacts during a tense exchange over a New York Times report involving migrant children released to sponsors by federal authorities. (Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
Van Laar also criticized the former HHS secretary’s demeanor during the interview.
"Trying to come across as jovial, kind Becerra... but that ain’t who he is," she said.
Michael Trujillo, a Democratic strategist, criticized Becerra’s opening exchange with Ramos and framed it as dismissive toward a younger female reporter.
"I’ve seen this a lot in my community," Trujillo said on X. "A man telling a younger woman how to do her job."
Dana Loesch, a conservative radio host and former NRA spokesperson, also weighed in on the exchange and referenced prior reporting involving migrant children.
"It’s insane that the NYT story alone first didn’t end his political career," Loesch said on X. "This is all just so, so bad."
Kevin Dalton, a conservative political commentator, said, "KTLA just ended Xavier Becerra."
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Xavier Becerra speaks at a podium in 2023 as the Secretary of Health and Human Services. (Getty Images)
The sharpest exchange came during a discussion of Becerra’s tenure at HHS, when Ramos referenced a New York Times investigation involving migrant children released to sponsors by federal authorities.
"That’s not accurate," Becerra said after Ramos cited findings that the department could not account for tens of thousands of children. "What you just read is not accurate."
Becerra then accused Ramos of echoing Republican messaging.
"You’re essentially, I don’t know if you got those talking points from Donald Trump," Becerra said.
Ramos pushed back, noting she was referencing reporting published by The New York Times.
"That’s not what the New York Times article said," Becerra responded. "The New York Times said that individuals, the children and their sponsors, did not respond to calls. They didn’t say we couldn’t find kids."
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Becerra and other candidates for governor in California took to the debate stage last week. (Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Ramos later said she was surprised by the tone of the interaction because it differed from her interviews with other gubernatorial candidates.
"Honestly, I was caught off guard because it was so dramatically different from any of the other candidates that we had approached and sat down with," Ramos said.
"This was one of our final interviews," Ramos said. "As you saw, we’ve interviewed Sheriff Chad Bianco, Tom Steyer, and really, the only question I’ve gotten from anyone consistently is, ‘Is it Annie or Annie Rose?’"
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When reached for comment, the Becerra campaign referred Fox News Digital to a previous statement from spokesman Jonathan Underland, who said that "unlike some candidates in the race, Becerra doesn’t walk away when the questions get difficult."
"Over decades in public service, he’s consistently shown up, answered tough questions and respected the role journalists play in holding public officials accountable," Underland added.
https://www.foxnews.com/media/becerra-draws-fierce-criticism-after-attempting-control-terms-on-camera-interview