Gavin Newsom vows to never turn my back on Biden as he tries to tamp down shadow campaign talk in Michigan
California Gov.Gavin Newsom remains steadfastly committed to the Biden-Harris 2024 presidential ticket, despite admitting during an Independence Day Democratic campaign event in Michigan that the presidential debate against former President Donald Trump “did not go as well” as Biden had hoped.“I was asked and tasked by President Biden, proudly, to fly from California to Georgia to represent the campaign right after that debate,” Newsom told a crowd of supporters at the Van Buren Dems BBQ for Biden-Harris in South Haven, Michigan, on Thursday.“I had a lot of talking points in mind, you may have noticed if you saw me, I didn’t bring them with me.
And that’s to make the obvious point – things did not go as well as the campaign had hoped, and obviously did not go as well as President Biden had hoped,” he said.Newsom – who has vehemently denied claims that he’s running a “shadow campaign” to replace Biden – was among the 20 Democratic governors who had a private meeting with Biden on Wednesday night at the White House for about an hour and a half.“It could have gone two or three hours,” Newsom said of the meeting.“And I mean this with absolute conviction.
That was the Joe Biden I remember from two weeks ago.That was the Joe Biden that I remember from two years ago.
That’s the Joe Biden that I’m looking forward to reelecting as president of the United States.”The aim of the meeting was to shore up support among the party’s top leaders and stave off diminishing confidence in Biden’s candidacy.Among the Democratic governors who were planning to attend in person were Minnesota Gov.Tim Walz, who leads the Democratic Governors Association, Michigan Gov.
Gretchen Whitmer, Maryland Gov.Wes Moore, and New York Gov.
Kathy Hochul, among others.Newsom added he’s been “going wherever” he’s been asked by the administration, and doing “whatever task, large and small, because I believe in this man.”“I believe in his characte...