Overview
- The pair met at Tommy's Mexican Restaurant in San Francisco, and photos they posted on X Wednesday showed them seated at a nearly empty table.
- Newsom's team said the conversation covered healthcare, housing, the economy, small businesses, abortion rights, climate issues and opposition to President Trump.
- Republicans and social media critics labeled the encounter a manufactured photo op and the California Republican Party released a public post mocking the cleared dining room.
- The meeting marks the first in‑person contact between Newsom and Becerra since the June 2 primary and underscores Newsom's public endorsement as Becerra shifts into the November general election against Republican Steve Hilton.
- Coverage split along partisan lines with local outlets noting the restaurant's family ownership and neutral details while right‑leaning outlets and the state GOP focused on the optics, a dynamic that now feeds both campaigns' messaging and voter outreach plans.