In an early peek at California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s interview with “Meet the Press,” the two-term Democratic heavyweight tells NBC News’ Chuck Todd that he has no plans to run for president in 2024, and he’s confident that President Biden will see his re-election campaign through.
“President Biden is going to run, and [I’m] looking forward to getting him reelected. I think there’s been so much wallowing in the last few months, and hand wringing in this respect. But we’re gearing up for the campaign,” Newsom said.
He added, “We’re looking forward to it.”
When asked what would happen if Biden decided to suspend his campaign this year, for any reason, Newsom said he would back a bid by Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Well, I think the vice president is naturally the one lined up,” Newsom told “Meet the Press.”
And, asked what he would say to donors and supporters who are still hanging on to hope he might run, the governor said, “Time to move on. Let’s go.”
In other campaign news…
Friends like these: Former President Donald Trump is holding a fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club for Rudy Giuliani, who faces charges in Georgia related to the 2020 election. Giuliani’s son told WABC the fundraiser had already raised $1 million.
A “banana republic”: On a conservative podcast Thursday, Trump addressed attempts to use the 14th Amendment to remove him from the ballot in certain states as “nonsense” and “election interference.” “This is like a banana republic,” he said, per NBC News’ Jake Traylor.
Not taking no for an answer: Florida is appealing a court decision that struck down the state’s congressional map that nixed a district with a significant Black voting-age population, a map championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Tense exchange: In Jacksonville on Thursday night, DeSantis engaged in a heated argument with a man who blamed DeSantis’ gun policies for a mass shooting targeting Black people in the city a few weeks ago. “I’m not going to let you accuse me of committing criminal activity,” DeSantis told the man, per NBC News’ Alec Hernández.
“Significant damage and destruction”: The Government Accountability Office says that former President Trump’s signature border wall caused major damage to the environment and to cultural sites.
Text-to-win: Politico reports on how the pro-DeSantis Never Back Down super PAC is utilizing a texting campaign to collect data it hopes will help its favored candidate in the presidential nominating fight.
A bear of a race: A new Berkeley IGS poll shows California Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter virtually tied in the 2024 California Senate primary, with fellow Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee finishing in single digits near a handful of other candidates. That said, a full one-third of voters say they are undecided.
Map battle: The Ohio Supreme Court dropped lawsuits against state Republicans over congressional maps (which were previously ruled unconstitutional) after the plaintiffs dropped their challenge.
