According to two sources that spilled their guts to The Wrap, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is “undeniably, unequivocally” running for president in 2024 if Joe Biden decides not to run again.
The report notes:
“After this midterm election is over, he absolutely is going to announce that he is running for the presidency once Biden announces that he is not running,” a leading California fundraiser with close ties to the Newsom family told TheWrap. “No ifs, ands or buts. He will run if Biden does not.”
A second individual close to the governor, a Los Angeles philanthropist with deep connections in the Democratic Party and a long history of fundraising for its candidates, confirmed Newsom’s intention to run.
But is Biden running again? In a “60 Minutes” interview that aired on Sunday, Biden told CBS’ Scott Pelley that it’s “much too early” to make a decision on that. “Look, my intention, as I said to begin with, is that I would run again,” Biden said. “But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.”
Officially, Newsom — a Democrat who’s expected to easily win a second term in California’s gubernatorial race this November — has said he has “sub-zero interest” in running for president in 2024. A staffer in Newsom’s administration reiterated that statement to TheWrap.
Newsom has had many publicity stunts in recent months, from joining President Trump’s Truth Social to giving $100,000 to Democrat Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, to even challenging Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to a debate on the issues. These all are playing into Newsom’s hands as he seeks a shot at the White House.