CNN's Brianna Keilar grills Caitlyn Jenner on why she has 'struggled to resonate' with California voters


One week ahead of California's gubernatorial recall election, Republican candidate Caitlyn Jenner is insisting her campaign is in a "good position" as she faces questions over why her candidacy has failed to "resonate" with voters.
Jenner, who is running to oust California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), appeared on CNN on Tuesday ahead of the state's Sept. 14 recall election, and right at the top of the interview, CNN's Brianna Keilar questioned her on why she has "struggled to resonate" with California voters. Keilar noted that the former athlete and reality TV star entered the race "with such a splash" in April but that a recent poll showed her with only one percent support. Jenner responded by arguing that the "polls have been all over the place" but that she's "in a good position," though Keilar later pointed out, "There are no poll numbers that show you in the lead."
Jenner during the interview also defended the fact that she went to Australia to film Celebrity Big Brother in the middle of her campaign, arguing she had to honor an agreement she previously made with the show, though Keilar described the decision to leave the country to film a reality show while running for governor as "bizarre."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Later, when asked for her thoughts on Texas' recent law banning abortions after as early as six weeks, Jenner came to the state's defense, saying she "probably" doesn't agree with the law but still supports Texas' right to implement it.
"I am for a woman's right to choose," she said. "I am also for a state having the ability to make their own laws, and so I support Texas in that decision. That's their decision. I'm okay with that."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders
-
Mamdani upsets Cuomo in NYC mayoral primary
Speed Read Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani beat out Andrew Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary
-
Supreme Court clears third-country deportations
Speed Read The court allowed Trump to temporarily resume deporting migrants to countries they aren't from