The Newsom shrug: Well, I said it, but I didn't really think Feinstein would die. 

"On Monday, Newsom said the comment had been a 'hypothetical on top of a hypothetical' because he didn’t expect Feinstein to die in office.

'With grace, I walked into it by saying I didn’t want to get in the middle of the primary,' Newsom said. 'I said what I said. That’s rearview mirror stuff right now.'"

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/02/newsoms-pick-for-senate-can-run-if-she-wants-00119561