Topic: Eleni Kounalakis

California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis has set the recall election for Governor Gavin Newsom for September 14th. The accelerated timeline is viewed as a strategic move to help Newsom avoid the political fallout from potential summer wildfires and power outages. Newsom’s campaign has characterized the recall effort as a "Republican power grab," while over 60 candidates have already announced their intention to run for the office.

CNN host Don Lemon attempts to elicit criticism of the federal government from California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. Kounalakis and Governor Gavin Newsom instead emphasize productive collaboration with the Trump administration and Vice President Mike Pence regarding the repatriation of cruise ship passengers.