Gavin Newsom was effusive in his praise for Joe Biden, claiming the 80-year-old had delivered “a masterclass” in governance and put aside fears about his age.
California’s governor has been suspected of harboring White House ambitions, but on Monday he was adamant that the president was the best man for the job and laughed off questions about whether he was considering challenging him.
Only a third of voters think Biden will remain in office for a second term if re-elected, and CNN’s Dana Bash asked Newsom whether voters should be concerned.
“Voters have every right to be concerned,” he said. “But Bobby Kennedy said it best: What the world needs is the qualities of youth, not a time of life but a state of mind. A quality of imagination.
“I couldn’t imagine three years ago that this president could accomplish so much in such a short time.” He said he wanted “a seasonal pro who knows how to get things done.”
Gavin Newsom told CNN on Monday that he was not concerned about Joe Biden’s age and wanted “a seasoned professional” in the White House
President Joe Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom are pictured in San Francisco in June
Newsom continued, “And the results are in: it was a master class. There has simply not been a government in my lifetime that has been more effective at producing more substantive results.”
Biden, 80, is the oldest person ever elected president, and his age is a concern for many voters across the political spectrum. A poll last month showed that 77 percent of Americans – including 69 percent of Democrats – think Biden is too old for a second term.
He said Kamala Harris was crucial to Biden’s success — despite her widespread unpopularity.
Newsom, 55, and Harris, 58, both Californians, are old friends. Newsom served as mayor of San Francisco and won two elections as lieutenant governor of California before becoming governor.
Harris was a prosecutor in San Francisco who won two local elections for attorney general before becoming a U.S. senator in 2016.
Some have suggested that Biden should dump Harris, but Newsom said she was “absolutely” the best person to be his running mate in 2024. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California representative, declined to comment last week and demurred when asked.
“If I think that this government of the last two or three years has been one of the most distinguished governments of the last decades, and it is a member of the government, by definition it can take credit. ‘The answer is yes: absolutely.’
Newsom admitted he “doesn’t like” what he’s heard about Hunter Biden benefiting from his father’s position, but he attacked Republican efforts to impeach Joe Biden as a “joke” and as a ” student government’.
Kamala Harris will “absolutely” be Joe Biden’s running mate, Newsom said
Gavin Newsom said Biden and Harris would be the Democratic ticket in 2024
Newsom said he didn’t like Hunter Biden using his father’s name, but said it was a widespread problem in many sectors of society — and did not deserve impeachment
Biden is facing an impeachment inquiry launched by Republicans who investigated his son Hunter’s foreign business dealings in countries including China and Ukraine while his father was vice president.
Newsom said, “I don’t know enough about the details of that. I mean, I’ve seen a little bit of that.
“If that’s the new criteria, there are a lot of people in a lot of sectors, not just in politics, where people have family members and relationships and they’re trying to parry a little bit, gain a little influence and gain advantage in that regard. that is hardly unique.
“I don’t like that any more than you like it, or other people, I think, like it. We want to see that much less.’
But he added: “An impeachment inquiry? Give me a break. This is the student government. This is a joke. Ready, fire, aim. I mean, this is a perversion of what the Founding Fathers ever conceived and proposed. So if that’s the best they can do, give me a break.”
A potential 2024 Newsom candidacy has become a focus for Democrats concerned about Biden’s advanced age and anemic polls.
California’s governor recently raised his profile by making appearances in other states, making an official trip to China and agreeing to debate Republican 2024 candidate Ron DeSantis.
But when he struck out on his own in 2024, Newsom said, “The answer is no. No ambiguity. I’m not that guy. It’s just not me.’
He added that Democrats need to stop “navel-gazing about Joe Biden” and “get to work.”
‘Let’s get on the train. This train has left the proverbial station,” Newsom said.
Bash asked Newsom to comment on Donald Trump’s ambiguous statements on abortion rights.
On Sunday, Trump said he was not in favor of a six-week ban, calling some of the state’s policies “terrible.”
“I would sit down with both sides and negotiate something, and then we will have peace on that issue for the first time in 52 years,” Trump said.
Gavin Newsom is seen talking to CNN’s Dana Bash
Trump accused Democrats of supporting abortion “up to and beyond birth.”
Newsom responded, “What does that mean? After the birth? It’s made up, it’s a political thing. People don’t want abortion after birth.
“It’s not up to Donald Trump or me. It’s up to women who need it. The reality is it’s a political canard: it’s BS.”
Currently, California allows abortion up to 24 weeks. “It’s not our role to make that decision,” Newsom added.
‘They don’t believe in basic choice and freedom for women. I’m not surprised Donald Trump is saying this.”
Newsom said it was “insulting” to exploit “terrible pain” when a baby was not viable and had to be aborted at a later date.
“No one wants to see abortions later in life. In these extremely rare and personal circumstances, I absolutely believe that Donald Trump should not make that decision, that I should not make that decision.
“It’s for a woman and her doctor.” Kayleigh McEnany, who served as Trump’s White House press secretary, condemned Newsom for his comments.
“Gavin Newsom refuses to say there should be ANY limits on abortion,” she wrote on X.
‘A baby feeling pain is completely irrelevant to his calculations. It’s all a ‘political canard’. These are the Democrats who condone abortion up to birth.”