California Gov. Gavin Newsom deflected questions about a possible presidential candidacy after President Biden’s shaky performance in Thursday night’s debate
The political news website Politico reported that Biden was in Atlanta with fellow Democrats watching the debate at CNN.
According to Politico, someone shouted to Newsom, “Governor, are you ready to replace Joe Biden if you’re asked?”
Newsom responded that he was “very proud of the President…So from my humble perspective, this is not about style. This is about delivering results for the American people.”
While many observers described Biden’s debate performance as “shaky” and “fumbling,” Newsom took direct aim at former President Donald Trump on X.
Biden’s supporters tried to put a brave face on the evening, and two White House officials said Biden had a cold.
But the president’s poor performance rattled his fellow Democrats and will likely deepen voter concerns that the 81-year-old is too old to serve another four-year term.
One top Biden donor, who did not want to be identified while criticizing the president, called his performance “disqualifying” and said he expected a fresh round of calls for him to step aside ahead of the Democratic Party’s national convention in August.
Vice President Kamala Harris, appearing on CNN after the debate, acknowledged what she called Biden’s “slow start” but argued that voters should judge him and Trump based on their years in office.
“I’m not going to spend all night with you talking about the last 90 minutes when I’ve been watching the last three-and-a-half years of performance,” she told CNN host Anderson Cooper.
Reuters contributed to this article.
