Newsom Comments On Trump Statement
California Governor Gavin Newsom shared his thoughts on the 2020 presidential election in an interview with “Meet the Press” moderator Kristen Welker that aired on Sunday. In light of former President Donald Trump’s previous statements that he is ready to debate former Vice President Joe Biden, Welker asked Newsom if he thinks Biden should agree to a debate with Trump for the general election. Newsom responded with a simple “100%,” stating that it would be a “pure projection” for Trump to refuse to debate after accusing Biden of being weak.
Trump, who is currently in the lead for the Republican nomination, expressed his desire to debate Biden immediately “for the good of the country.” Upon hearing this, Biden responded by saying, “If I were him, I’d want him to debate me, too. He’s got nothing else to do.” This exchange between the two candidates has sparked speculation about whether or not there will actually be debates leading up to the 2020 election, as both parties have had issues with the debate process in the past.
WATCH: President Biden should “100%” debate former President Donald Trump in the general election, Gov. @GavinNewsom (D-Calif.) says.
Newsom: “Biden beat Trump in the prior debates.” pic.twitter.com/MFS6BWlBFe
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) February 25, 2024
Newsom, who is a Democratic governor and a potential future candidate for the presidency, weighed in on the issue by saying that Biden “beat Trump” in their previous debates during this election season. He also took a jab at Trump by pointing out that the former president refused to participate in the debates during the Republican primaries, claiming that the American people already know him and his record.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has declined to set up debates during the primary season, which has caused frustration among Biden’s opponents. This decision has even led to Robert F. Kennedy, a candidate for the Democratic nomination, switching to run as an independent and criticizing the party’s handling of the election process. On the other side, Trump has been dominating in his party’s race and has a significant lead over his closest rival, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.
Despite the lack of primary debates, the Commission on Presidential Debates has announced three debates for the general election in September and October. The first will be held on September 16 in Texas, followed by a debate between the vice presidential candidates on September 25 in Pennsylvania. However, there is speculation about whether or not these debates will actually take place, as some have suggested that Trump may try to avoid them.
WATCH: Gov. @GavinNewsom (D-Calif.) says he isn’t “worried” about President Biden’s ability to beat fmr. President Trump in November — despite voters’ concerns about his age.
“Here's my point: it's because of his age that he's been so successful." pic.twitter.com/1isJrSYil5
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) February 25, 2024
In the interview, Newsom also addressed concerns about Biden’s age (81) and ability to serve a second term if elected. He defended the former vice president by stating that his age has actually been an asset in his successful political career. Newsom’s support for Biden’s re-election campaign is not surprising, as California is a historically Democratic state that largely backed Biden in the primary election.
During his speech at the 2024 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Saturday, Trump took a swipe at Newsom, saying that “a lot of people” think he will run for president in the future. He then went on to criticize the governor for “destroying” California. With the 2020 election still several months away, both the Democratic and Republican parties are gearing up for what is expected to be a heated race, with debates being a key aspect of the campaign. Only time will tell if Trump and Biden will face off in debates leading up to the election.