- Gov. Gavin Newsom said he believes President Biden “100%” should debate Trump
- He said it’s “pure projection” for people to suggest Biden won’t run
- Biden has not yet said whether he will debate Trump in the 2024 cycle
California Governor Gavin Newsom believes President Joe Biden should absolutely debate Donald Trump during the 2024 general election campaign.
Biden has not yet committed to debate Trump this election cycle after the two faced off several times in 2020.
But Newsom, a top surrogate for Biden, suggested the president is willing to go against his predecessor and that suggestions he doesn’t make are “pure projection.”
Trump declined to participate in the primary debate this cycle, claiming he was running as an incumbent and should not be running against the B-team.
Repeatedly his competitors called on him to participate, but he refused, claiming he would debate when the general election came around.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he believes President Joe Biden should participate ‘100%’ in debates with Donald Trump during the 2024 general election campaign
Trump and Biden debated a few times during the 2020 presidential campaign
Trump says he is now ready to debate Biden. Should President Biden debate Trump?’ NBC News’ Meet the Press host asked Newsom on Sunday.
“Of course it will be,” Newsom said. “Biden defeated Trump in the previous debates. I’m looking forward to -‘
“So that’s a yes?” Welker intervened.
“100%,” the governor responded, saying suggestions Biden won’t make are “pure projection on a man who refused to debate in his own primaries.”
“Back to my point: Weakness masquerading as strength,” he noted of the former president.
Newsom is one of Biden’s top surrogates, but Republicans theorize that Democrats plan to rule California based on the 2024 primary instead of the current president.
Newsom insists he has no plans to make a bid for the White House this cycle, but Republicans are unconvinced he won’t intervene at the Democrat nominating convention this summer.
He told NBC that any calls for him to enter the race are just “idle talk” and a “side issue.”
“It’s not even an interesting conversation,” he added, saying he “100%” rules out the possibility.
Trump gave victory speeches during the South Carolina primaries on Saturday and didn’t mention Haley’s name once — instead shifting the focus to the general election
Meanwhile, after an impressive victory in Saturday’s primaries in South Carolina, Trump is shifting the focus of his campaign from the primaries to the general election in November.
During his victory speech, the former president encouraged his voters to focus on Nov. 5, which he said will be the “most important date in history,” and did not mention Haley’s name once.
For her part, Haley said Saturday evening that she is keeping her word to stay in the race despite her crushing loss in her home state this weekend.
“I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run for president,” Haley said in her speech from Charleston.
‘I am a woman of my word. I will not give up this fight if a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.”