Bill Clinton was in California to catch up with Gov. Gavin Newsom for Sunday brunch.
The former president was happy glad-handing his way with fans outside the flashy San Francisco restaurant Waterbar gathering — with cameras catching every grin and handshake.
But Newsom, who spent months building a national profile by launching a memoir, appearing on podcasts and trolling Donald Trump, was nowhere to be seen.
Maybe that’s because a picture with Clinton, who’s under scrutiny over his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, is the last thing the strongly rumored 2028 White House hopeful wants.
Documents and photos from the Epstein files — including images of Clinton in a pool and hot tub alongside Ghislaine Maxwell and an unidentified woman — led to him and wife Hillary making closed-door, in-person depositions before the House Oversight Committee in February 2026.
The pair were at the restaurant for the birthday bash of former San Francisco mayor and California Democrat kingmaker, Willie Brown, who turned 92.
Newsom was practically a ghost for the high-profile outing, not appearing in any photos shared by SFGATE and on TikTok.
Clinton has denied any wrongdoing and told congressional investigators he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes.
He insists the photos were taken during a trip tied to his foundation work and says nothing inappropriate occurred.
But with the Epstein shadow looming — making any public appearance is a loaded political moment.