{"id":15011,"date":"2025-05-20T16:41:49","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T23:41:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/?p=15011"},"modified":"2025-05-20T16:41:49","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T23:41:49","slug":"villaraigosa-demands-harris-becerra-apologize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/los-angeles\/villaraigosa-demands-harris-becerra-apologize\/","title":{"rendered":"Villaraigosa Demands Harris, Becerra Apologize"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Controversy<\/h1>\n

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, a 2026 candidate for California governor, criticized former Vice President Kamala Harris and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra on Tuesday as complicit in covering up former President Biden\u2019s cognitive decline while in office.<\/p>\n

Background on the Accusations<\/h2>\n

Villaraigosa said those actions, in part, led to President Trump winning the November election. Becerra, who previously served as California\u2018s attorney general, is also in the running for governor, and Harris is considering jumping into the race. All three are Democrats.<\/p>\n

Villaraigosa’s Statement<\/h3>\n

\u201cAt the highest levels of our government, those in power were intentionally complicit or told outright lies in a systematic cover up to keep Joe Biden\u2019s mental decline from the public,\u201d Villaraigosa said in a statement. \u201cNow, we have come to learn this cover up includes two prominent California politicians who served as California Attorney General \u2014 one who is running for Governor and another who is thinking about running for Governor. Voters deserve to know the truth, what did Kamala Harris and Xavier Becerra know, when did they know it, and most importantly, why didn\u2019t either of them speak out?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Basis for the Accusations<\/h2>\n

Villaraigosa based his remarks on excerpts from \u201cOriginal Sin: President Biden\u2019s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,\u201d written by CNN\u2019s Jake Tapper and Axios\u2019 Alex Thompson and publicly released Tuesday. The book, largely relying on anonymous sources, argues that Biden\u2019s confidants and inner circle kept his deteriorating state from the American people, resulting in the Republican victory in the 2024 presidential election.<\/p>\n

Details from the Book<\/h3>\n

The book portrays Biden as in decline for as long as a decade, and argues that a circle of political advisors and his family hid his condition from voters. Then-President Biden walks out to the Rose Garden at the White House in November. (Ben Curtis \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Response from the Accused<\/h2>\n

\u201cKamala Harris and Xavier Becerra took an oath of office and were entrusted to protect the American people, but instead Kamala Harris repeatedly said there was nothing wrong with Biden and Becerra turned a blind eye,\u201d Villaraigosa said. \u201cOriginal Sin\u201d was published shortly after the former president disclosed on Sunday that he had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. One example of Biden\u2019s cognitive decline cited by the authors was that he confused Becerra with homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, according to the New York Times.<\/p>\n

Becerra’s Response<\/h3>\n

\u201cI met with President Biden when needed to make important decisions and to execute with my team at HHS,\u201d Becerra said in a statement. \u201cIt\u2019s clear the President was getting older, but he made the mission clear: run the largest health agency in the world, expand care to millions more Americans than ever before, negotiate down the cost of prescription drugs, and pull us out of a world-wide pandemic. And we delivered.\u201d Attempts to reach a representative for Harris were unsuccessful Tuesday afternoon.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

In conclusion, Villaraigosa’s accusations against Harris and Becerra have ignited a significant controversy, especially given the context of the 2026 California governor’s race. The allegations of a cover-up regarding former President Biden’s cognitive decline raise serious questions about transparency and accountability in government. As the situation unfolds, it will be crucial to observe how these accusations impact the political landscape and the public’s perception of the involved parties.<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n