California Governor Gavin Newsom strongly defended President Biden in an interview, saying his presidency has been a “masterclass” in governance.
When asked about polls showing voter concerns over Biden’s ability to run for a second term given his age, Newsom cited Biden’s economic record of 15 million new jobs and bipartisan leadership on issues like manufacturing and Ukraine.
“There are some pretty stark numbers you are facing. Seventy-six percent of voters say they have real concerns about President Biden’s ability to serve a second term. Do you think it is responsible for Democrats to put him at the top of the ticket given these concerns?” Kristen Welker asked.
While acknowledging some doubts over Biden’s strength against Trump, Newsom said Biden is doing everything needed as president and his leadership has been “extraordinary” over the last three years.
“I mean, what he’s done in three years, it’s been a masterclass. Close to 15 million jobs, that’s eight times more than the last three Republican presidents combined. The economy is booming. Inflation is cooling. It’s .6% more than it was in the summer of 2020 at just 3.1%,” Newsom said.
“We have American manufacturing coming home, all because of Biden’s wisdom, his temperance, his capacity to lead in a bipartisan manner, which is an underrepresented point. And, so, I have great confidence moving forward. And so the answer is, absolutely all in, in terms of the next four years for Joe Biden,” he said.
Newsom rejected the notion Biden needs to do more to show strength, arguing that Biden’s experience stemming from his age is why he has been so successful as president.
Newsom gave Biden his full support to run for a second term.
“These voters, though, aren’t complaining about his record. They’re talking about concerns about his ability to beat Trump, who you’ve called lightning, a threat, essentially to democracy. We’ve heard a lot of his allies say publicly, in private, ‘He is strong, he’s in command, he’s forceful.’ Does he need to do more to show that?” Welker asked.
“I think he’s doing everything he needs to do. I mean, he’s got an extraordinary record. He’s doing everything he needs to do on Ukraine at the moment. He’s doing everything he needs to do to wrestle some common sense as it relates to a bipartisan approach to address the issue of the border when Republicans couldn’t take yes for an answer because they don’t want to make that a political issue. He is leading,” Newsom said.
“So, no, from my humble prospective, not only have the last three years been extraordinary, I’ve been out, as you know, on the campaign trail. I was just out in California. I’ve seen him up close, I’ve seen him from far. But here’s my point: it’s because of his age that he’s been so successful,” he added.
