Gavin Newsom is still trying to set the record straight about whether he will run for president in 2024.
This time, the governor of California decided to endorse Joe Biden's candidacy stating that he must "move past this notion that he is not going to run" (referring to the controversy generated by the president's age, mental health and ability to govern).
In an excerpt from an interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Newsom tells host Chuck Todd that he expects Biden to be re-elected:
I think there’s been so much wallowing in the last few months, and handwringing in this respect (...) But we’re gearing up for the campaign. We’re looking forward to it (...) President Biden will run, and I look forward to his re-election.
The governor sent a message to donors who may have concerns about whether the Democratic candidate in the general election will be Biden: "Time to move on. Let's go."
Kamala Harris ready to be president, if "necessary"
Newsom also named Vice President Kamala Harris when asked about a replacement for Biden. The governor said Harris is “naturally the one lined up" to take office. He also assured that the Biden-Harris team works well, referring to the vice president’s recent statements in which she said that if "necessary" she feels prepared to be president.
Harris – who represents the most radical wing of the Biden administration – recently publicly declared that she is prepared "if necessary" to be president of the country.
“Yes I am, if necessary.” Vice President Kamala Harris is asked if she’s prepared to become the president. (Video: CBS) pic.twitter.com/xWeRF2Q87e
— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) September 7, 2023
But, despite her clear intentions, Harris does not have the support of even half of Democratic voters. According to a mid-August poll , 44% of voters claimed they would support her if Biden decided not to remain in office. On the other hand, if the former senator won the Democratic primary, she would have less support in the presidential elections than Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis, two of her hypothetical rivals.
Could Newsom be a possible candidate?
There has long been speculation that Newsom could be the Democratic Party's future presidential nominee. Despite the fact that the governor always denies his intentions and tries to deflect the issue by insisting that he supports President Biden’s bid for re-election, this may not be the case.
Newsom is pursuing different personal strategies, some of them through a Political Action Committee (PAC) he founded in March and called Newsom's Campaign for Democracy. Newsom is using that PAC to create a constitutional amendment for gun control and to take on Republican governors from other states.
In addition, Newsom has some support among Democratic voters. According to a study by Rasmussen Reports, 36% of Democrats would like the governor to compete against Biden in the primary.
