Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed rumors in an interview clip released Friday that he may run for president in 2024, emphasizing that Vice President Kamala Harris is President Joe Biden’s natural successor.
Newsom also insisted that Biden will run again, telling NBC “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd in an interview released Friday: “We need to move past this notion that he’s not going to run. President Biden is going to run and I’m looking forward to him getting reelected.”
“I think there’s been so much wallowing in the last few months, and handwringing in this respect,” Newsom said of those wondering if he would personally step up to the plate and run in 2024. “But we’re gearing up for the campaign. We’re looking forward to it.”
Harris is “naturally” the one “lined up” to follow Biden if he doesn’t run, Newsom said.
“It’s the Biden-Harris administration. Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned …” he said, emphasizing that he cannot imagine running against her. “It won’t happen.”
“I’ve said that a thousand times,” he added. Newsom said that he and Harris have a very good relationship and check in with one another to see how they are doing in their respective roles.
And asked if Harris was angry that he was planning on debating Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, he responded: “Eh, maybe, apparently someone in her office is, ’cause I read some off the record quotes, I wish I knew who that was, but I don’t hear it from her, and I’m certainly not hearing it from the White House.”
DeSantis agreed to debate Newsom during an interview with Sean Hannity.
“Absolutely, I’m game,” he told the Fox News host.
“Let’s get it done. Just tell me when and where we’ll do it. In one respect, the debate between California and Florida has already been had, as you suggest, people have been voting on that, they’ve been voting on it with their feet, they have fled California in record numbers.”
“Florida has been the No. 1 state for net in-migration,” DeSantis added. “We have the No. 1 ranked economy, No. 1 now in education, crime rate at a 50-year-low. But in another sense, this is the debate for the future of our country because you have people like Joe Biden, they would love to see the Californication of the United States.”
“Biden may not even be the nominee,” he concluded. “You could have Gavin Newsom, you could have Kamala Harris. And I think if we go down that direction, that’s going to accelerate American decline. We can’t see America decline anymore. We need to reverse.”
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