Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) dispelled any rumor that he is considering running against President Joe Biden in the 2024 Democrat primary election.
Asked whether he would consider challenging Biden in a recent interview with The Associated Press, Newsom said, “Not on God’s green earth, as the phrase goes. I have been pretty consistently — including recently on Fox News — making the case for his candidacy.”
Newsom’s recent comments reaffirm his initial commitment to Biden’s 2024 reelection, which he expressed last summer. Last year, in response to speculation that Newsom could be positioning himself to launch a bid for president in 2024, the governor told Biden’s campaign team that he was “all in” for Biden’s reelection campaign.
“I’ve told everyone in the White House, from the chief of staff to the first lady,” Newsom said last fall.
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The Hill reported that speculation around Newsom’s potential 2024 bid for the White House has once again grown in recent weeks as the governor has frequently feuded with Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla. over a variety of issues.
Asked by Sean Hannity on Fox News if he would agree to a two-hour debate with DeSantis, Newsom said, “Make it three. I would do it one day’s notice with no notes. I look forward to that.”
In response to Newsom’s debate challenge, DeSantis urged the California governor to “stop pussyfooting around” and decide whether or not he is going to challenge Biden in the Democrat primary.
“Are you going to throw your hat in the ring and challenge Joe?” he asked. “Are you going to do it? Or are you going to sit on the sidelines and chirp? Why don’t you throw your hat in the ring, and then we’ll go ahead and talk about what’s happening.”
In response to DeSantis, Newsom said the Florida governor is “taking his eye off the ball.” Newsom also described DeSantis as a “weak candidate” in the 2024 Republican primary election, arguing he is “undisciplined” and will soon “be crushed by Donald Trump.”
