California Governor Gavin Newsom defended President Joe Biden’s age on Sunday, asserting that Biden’s experience and wisdom are key reasons why he should be reelected for a second term.
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Newsom emphasized that Biden’s age has contributed to his success, citing his extensive legislative accomplishments and ability to garner bipartisan support, even from Republicans.
Highlighting Biden’s track record of enacting significant legislation, Newsom portrayed the prospect of another four years under his leadership as a valuable opportunity for the American people and a boon for the Democratic Party.
Newsom, a prominent surrogate for the Biden-Harris campaign, regularly faces inquiries from the media regarding Biden’s fitness for office, as well as his own aspirations for the White House. Despite such scrutiny, Newsom has consistently praised Biden’s dedication to the nation and his capacity for empathy, describing Biden’s leadership as exemplary.
However, during the interview aired on Sunday, Newsom was questioned about whether the 81-year-old president needs to exhibit more vigor and authority in public appearances.
“I think he’s doing everything he needs to do,” he said. “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 reconcile and wrestle some common sense as it relates to a bipartisan approach to address the issue of the border where the Republicans couldn’t take ‘yes’ for an answer because they don’t want to make that a political issue,” he said. “He is leading.”
Newsom also dismissed queries about his own presidential prospects in 2024 and whether he’s gotten calls from anxious donors focused on a Plan B to Biden. He repeated that he’s bored with such questions and that he doesn’t believe there’s a need for them.
