Gavin Newsom says he ‘doesn’t like’ Hunter Biden profiting from family ties, but derides Republican impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden as ‘student government’
- California governor says voters ‘have a right to be concerned’ about Biden’s, but he’s a ‘seasoned professional’
- Newsom says Kamala Harris will ‘absolutely’ be Biden’s running mate in 2024
Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom says he is “not happy” with what he has heard about Hunter Biden taking advantage of his father’s position.
But he attacked Republican efforts to impeach Joe Biden as a “joke” and “student government.”
He also said that “voters have every right to be concerned” about the president’s age, but added, “I want a seasoned professional who knows how to get things done.”
In an interview with CNNNewsom, 55, also offered unequivocal support for Kamala Harris, saying she should “absolutely” be Biden’s running mate again in 2024.
His statements came as a CBS News/YouGov poll found that only a third of voters believe the 80-year-old Biden would serve a second term, and as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi failed to give Harris clear to provide support.
Gavin Newsom said Biden and Harris would be the Democratic ticket in 2024
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, get a little bit of influence and gain advantage in that regard, that’s 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.
President Joe Biden and California Governor Gavin Newsom in San Francisco in June
Kamala Harris will “absolutely” be Joe Biden’s running mate, Newsom said
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 also said Harris should “of course” remain on the ticket.
“The Biden-Harris administration… a masterclass in terms of performance, bipartisan deals on infrastructure, bipartisan deals on guns and debt ceiling, on CHIPS and the Science Act,” he said.
“She can claim and credit a large part of that success. The answer is absolutely.”
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.