Gavin Newsom told President Joe Biden that he won’t run for president in 2024, report says
Gov. Gavin Newsom won’t run for president in 2024, even if President Joe Biden decides not to seek a second term, Politico reported Saturday.
The governor told Biden and White House officials in an election night phone call, according to columnist Jonathan Martin.
“I’m all in; put me in coach,” Martin overheard Newsom saying as he spoke to Biden. “We have your back.”
Newsom told Martin that he delivered the same message to administration officials during a visit to Washington this summer.
“I’ve told everyone in the White House, from the chief of staff to the first lady,” he said during an interview at governor’s mansion on election night.
The governor’s spokespeople did not immediately return calls or emails from The Sacramento Bee seeking confirmation.
Newsom’s declaration caps months of speculation about his political plans.
He drew huge national attention for his outspoken criticism of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican policies on gun rights and abortion, conveyed with bill boards, newspaper ads and twitter videos. Newsom also called out Biden and the Democratic party for what he viewed as a failure to aggressively counter Republican messaging.
He even intimated that Biden, who turned 80 this week, was no longer up to the job, calling him a man “hard wired for a different world.”
Newsom spoke to Biden following an appearance at an election night watch party celebrating the resounding passage of Proposition 1, which embedded abortion rights in the California Constitution. He refused to answer questions from the Sacramento press corps and instead offered a brief statement praising California voters for moving their state forward on issues like abortion and free speech.
“We have governors that won their reelection tonight in other states that are banning books that are banning speech, that are banning abortion. And here we are in California moving in a completely different direction,” Newsom said. “That’s a deep point of pride.”
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
