Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., was pressed by NBC News host Kristen Welker on whether he thought former President Joe Biden could have served through 2029, his defense of the former president and Kamala Harris’ failed campaign during “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
“Governor, did you legitimately believe that he was capable of serving as president until January of 2029?” Welker asked.
The governor recently praised Biden as one of the most successful presidents.
“Yeah, I think my focus was, frankly, situational. It was making sure Donald Trump didn’t get back into office, to experience everything that we’re experiencing today. And there was no interaction I had that suggested otherwise,” Newsom responded.
Welker also asked him to respond to Americans who felt like they were misled by Democrats about Biden’s mental acuity.
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“I’m not going to substitute myself for someone else or for popular opinion. I’m going to express my relationship to my truth with the former President of the United States, including at the end of his term, quite literally in December, which was a master class of foreign policy and domestic policy,” Newsom said. “There was nothing to suggest what you just said or others have suggested in terms of my interaction. That’s all I can be accountable for.”
The NBC News host then started pressing Newsom on why Harris lost the election, and whether Biden would have beaten Trump if he stayed in the race.
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Newsom said that historical headwinds were a huge reason for the Democrats’ loss, and listed several reasons as to why they lost.
“We could talk about woke. We could talk about the 107 days. We could talk about the lack of an open primary. We could talk about ‘The View.’ Again, I’m on page six of the 24 pages. And how you unpack that, how you stack that in terms of everything, I think needs still a little bit more forensics, a little more analysis,” he said.
Newsom revealed during an interview on Oct. 26 that he would give a possible run for the presidency serious thought after the 2026 midterm elections.
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Welker asked the Democratic governor why he wanted to be president during the “Meet the Press” interview.
“I don’t. I’m not suggesting I am. It was in response to someone talked about it and I – nothing I dislike more than a politician that sits there and lies to you. And we all just sit there rolling our eyes going, ‘Give me a break.’ So, as it relates to that, there’s nothing on the – I’m focused on Prop 50. I’m focusing on fair and free elections,” he responded.
