This Transparent Statement Made Everything Worse #interview #mediatraining #psychology

According to the New York Times, Javier Becerra, the former Biden Health Secretary and former California Attorney General, is now leading the Democratic field in the California governor's race. And what did he do with the wonderful new spotlight? He walked into a KTLA interview and immediately made every media trainer in America reach for the emergency bourbon. Before reporter Annie Rose Ramos even began, Becerra asked, by the way, this is a profile piece, this is not a gotcha piece, right? Oh boy, that is the interview equivalent of walking into a restaurant and saying, "Just to be clear, this isn't one of those food poisoning restaurants, right?" Well, congratulations, now everybody is thinking about food poisoning. The first rule for any savvy politician is simple: never talk about the questions. Never try to guide the questions. Never try to negotiate the vibe of the interview like you're ordering a massage. You listen to the question, you rewrite it in your own mind, and you answer it on your own terms in a way that makes you look calm, confident, and prepared. But Sarah did the opposite. Ultimize.