Gavin Newsom’s Big Announcement Of New State Attorney General Cut Off After Technical Difficulties

What should have been a triumphal media moment for California Governor Gavin Newsom was scuttled on Wednesday by technical difficulties. Newsom had set his first televised press conference in at least two weeks to announce his much-anticipated pick to replace Xavier Becerra as the state’s attorney general.

The presentation began with a jubilant Newsom extemporizing from the podium, recalling his personal history with the San Francisco venue from which he was speaking and name-checking potentates. The governor, as is his habit, preambled for over 7 minutes, during which time the state YouTube feed glitched and sputtered, drawing angry comments from users on the site.

More from Deadline

• New Poll Shows Newsom Ahead In Recall Vote, But Latinos Could Be A Problem For Governor

• 6 California Counties, Including SF, Move To Orange Reopening Tier, Further Loosening Restrictions On Movie Theaters, Restaurants, Concerts

• California's Fraud-Riddled EDD Unemployment System Down Repeatedly In Past 24 Hours After Newsom Promised Fix Last Year

Finally, as Newsom went into a more proper introduction of his nominee for the post, the stream stopped entirely. You can see the moment below. The event was carried live by at least one local TV station, KRON4, but that outlet also cut away before the presentation was over.

The event was on par with many of the unforced errors the governor has had of late, from his dinner at the French Laundry last fall to the ongoing debacle of fraud and incompetence with the state’s Unemployment Department, which Newsom has repeatedly promised to fix.

The purpose of the presentation was to announce the nomination of Alameda Assemblymember Rob Bonta as the next California Attorney General, filling the seat vacated by Xavier Becerra, who was recently sworn in as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Newsom has been asked for weeks about the pick and has demurred, saying he was waiting for Becerra to be confirmed first.

The drama was heightened by the fact that there were some big names in the running, including the powerful U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff who, according to Politico, “aggressively lobbied Newsom to appoint him to the role.”

Schiff and others were keen on the post in part because it has become a stepping stone to bigger things. The last three occupants of the office went on to become Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health (Becerra), Vice President of the United States (Kamala Harris) and a two-term Governor of California (Jerry Brown).

So Newsom’s long-awaited announcement came with that drama plus the added surprise that, amid the rise in violence against the Asian community, he was appointing Bonta as California’s first Filipino Attorney General.

In a statement sent out before the press event, Newsom praised Bonta for taking on “big fights to reverse historic injustice – many affecting communities of color. He has been a leader in the fight to reform our justice system and stand up to the forces of hate.”

“Rob represents what makes California great – our desire to take on righteous fights and reverse systematic injustices,” said Governor Newsom. “Growing up with parents steeped in social justice movements, Rob has become a national leader in the fight to repair our justice system and defend the rights of every Californian. And most importantly, at this moment when so many communities are under attack for who they are and who they love, Rob has fought to strengthen hate crime laws and protect our communities from the forces of hate. He will be a phenomenal Attorney General, and I can’t wait to see him get to work.”

Newsom’s failed victory lap comes at a bad time politically for him. As the recall effort against him gained steam in the past month, the governor has stopped his 2-3 times weekly press conferences and opted for a more controlled media strategy. Wednesday’s event could certainly have marked a triumphal return.

The announcement of Bonta, whose parents marched alongside Cesar Chavez, is a boon politically that the governor surely wanted to amplify one day after a poll on the looming recall vote showed lagging support among the state’s Latinos and the San Joaquin Valley as the region where a recall is most popular.

Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.