Two-term California Gov. Gavin Newsom is traveling to the nation’s capital on Wednesday to take part in a meeting President Biden has called with the nation’s Democratic governors in the wake of Biden’s extremely harsh performance during last Thursday’s debate with former President Trump.
“Governor Newsom will be heading to the White House tomorrow to attend the Governors’ Meeting and stand alongside the President,” a spokesperson for the California governor said Tuesday evening.
Biden, who at 81 is the oldest president in the nation’s history, faces the most difficult part of his campaign for a second term in the White House. This, after his halting speech and wavering debate answers, sparked widespread panic in the Democratic Party and prompted calls from political pundits, editorialists and party donors for Biden to step aside as the party’s standard-bearer in 2024. In the past 24 hours, a small but growing number of elected Democrats have also urged the president to end his re-election campaign.
Biden to meet Democratic governors as he works to bolster campaign
President Biden (R) and former President Trump face off in a debate, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. (Fake Images)
Biden’s meeting at the White House on Wednesday, which Democratic congressional leaders are also expected to attend, comes after Democratic governors met on a conference call on Monday to discuss the fallout from the debate.
Monday’s call was hosted by Democratic Governors Association (DGA) chairman Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. Sources told Fox News that the Biden campaign was aware of the call in advance.
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Several governors, including some who have been considered potential replacements in the off chance Biden drops out of his reelection bid, have acknowledged that the president’s performance in the debates was shaky but remained committed to supporting the president.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters after a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump in Atlanta, Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Newsom, who was in Atlanta, Georgia, for last week’s debate, told reporters in the press room after the showdown that “I will never turn my back on President Biden, and I don’t know any Democrat in my party who would. And especially after tonight, we’ve got his back.”
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And Newsom, a top supporter of Biden’s campaign, said “none” when asked if he had any concerns about Biden’s suitability for office: “I have no concerns at all.”
President Joe Biden, right, and first lady Jill Biden leave the stage after speaking at a campaign rally, Friday, June 28, 2024, in Raleigh, N.C. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
In the days since the debate, Newsom has continued to defend the president and helped raise several hundred thousand dollars for Biden’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee in the immediate aftermath of the debate. And the governor has also continued to brush aside intense speculation about whether he would replace Biden on the national ticket.
Also expected to take part in Wednesday’s meeting are two other top Biden surrogates, Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan and JB Pritzker of Illinois, who are also speculated to be his replacements.
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