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Garcetti: 'This Is The Worst Moment I've Lived in My Lifetime'

Eric Garcetti / Getty Images
July 30, 2018

Los Angeles Mayor and potential 2020 Democratic White House hopeful Eric Garcetti said the current state of the United States represents "the worst moment I've lived in in my lifetime."

Garcetti, who was 30 years old when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred, told Los Angeles Times columnist Steve Lopez he's not sure yet about running for president, but he sounded like a man who felt a serious overhaul was needed from the Trump administration.

"I’m concerned about this country, period. I think all of us should be. This is the worst moment I’ve lived in in my lifetime," he said in a phone interview from Vietnam.

Garcetti has made visits to the critical states of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, spurring speculation he plans a run for the White House, but he said in April he wouldn't decide until 2019.

"I’m not interested in my next job," Garcetti said.

He also listed off things "missing in this country."

"There are a couple of things missing in this country: kindness, moral leadership, and people who deliver, who don’t invent problems they can’t solve, but look at real problems and address them. Potholes, infrastructure, making college free, [raising] the minimum wage," Garcetti said.

Lopez noted in his column Garcetti is overshadowed nationally by another California lawmaker with a significantly higher profile: Sen. Kamala Harris (D., Calif.). Harris has said she's "not ruling it out" regarding a White House bid, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D.) said last year Harris will be "knocking on doors in Iowa" at some point.