Chuck Todd Presses Gavin Newsom on 2024 White House Bid
During his final episode hosting Meet the Press, Chuck Todd pressed California Gov. Gavin Newsom on his plans to challenge President Joe Biden’s election bid in 2024.
As political timing goes, this interview is nearly perfect, as a recent CNN poll reveals that two of three Democrats would prefer another candidate to run for office in 2024. Given what many consider the relatively thin bench of candidates to challenge Biden, Newsom seems a likely replacement.
The full interview is set to air this coming Sunday, Todd’s last before he “leaves the chair” and Kristen Welker becomes anchor, but he appeared on TODAY to promote the interview and teased a short clip.
“Filing deadlines haven’t passed. President Biden doesn’t run,” Todd noted. “Why shouldn’t we consider you a likely candidate?”
Newsom took the high road and voiced his support for Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, “Well, I think the vice president is naturally the one lined up, and the filing deadlines are quickly coming to pass, and I think we need to move past this notion that he’s not going to run. President Biden is going to run, and looking forward to getting him reelected. I think there’s been so much wallowing in the last few months and handwringing in this respect. But we’re gearing up for the campaign. We’re looking forward to it.”
NBC News released transcripts for the coming interview, which puts Newsom’s answer in a larger context:
CHUCK TODD: Filing deadlines haven’t passed. President Biden doesn’t run, why shouldn’t we consider you a likely candidate?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Well, I think the vice president is naturally the one lined up and the filing deadlines are quickly coming to pass and I think we need to move past this notion that he’s not going to run. President Biden is going to run, and looking forward to getting him reelected. I think there’s been so much wallowing in the last few months, and handwringing in this respect. But we’re gearing up for the campaign. We’re looking forward to it.
CHUCK TODD: I understand –you know, but you hear these calls privately. What do you tell these donors who are wallowing in this?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Time to move on. Let’s go.
//
CHUCK TODD: And am I supposed to interpret that comment about the vice president that if for some reason the president chose not to run at this point –GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Well it’s the natural –
CHUCK TODD: – everybody rallies around her?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: It’s the Biden-Harris administration. Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned –
CHUCK TODD: And you respect that?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned about, you know, presidents and vice presidents. I was a lieutenant governor, so I’m a little subjective.
Todd then pressed Newsom on whether he could ever imagine running against VP Harris, to which he replied, “Of course not. By definition. Won’t happen.” While this portion of the interview did not air on TODAY, NBC’s transcript is below:
CHUCK TODD: Your relationship with the vice president. // Describe your relationship with her.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: We knew each other before we were both in politics. The day I got sworn in as mayor, walked across the street, she got sworn in as district attorney. Extraordinarily close working relationship, including her time in the Senate, my time up here.
CHUCK TODD: You can’t imagine ever having to run against each other?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Of course not. By definition. Won’t happen. But we’ve – I’ve said that 1,000 times. We privately continue to maintain a very good relationship, interpersonal. Just, “How are you doing? Checking in.” It’s been a challenging few years with Covid. And we’ve had the opportunity to sit down, have lunch together in the White House, spend time talking about important things.
CHUCK TODD: So nobody’s upset?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: and trivial things.
CHUCK TODD: She’s not upset that you’re going to debate Ron DeSantis?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Maybe. Apparently someone in her office is, because I read some off-the-record quotes. I wish I knew who that was. But I don’t hear it from her so – and I’m certainly not hearing it from the White House itself.
It’s quite notable that Newsom is voicing unambivalent support for both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. It’s equally notable that he is appearing on arguably the most influential and storied Sunday morning political talk show amid Democratic hand-wringing over the 2024 nominee.
The full interview will air on Sunday morning’s Meet the Press on NBC.
Watch above via NBC.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
During his final episode hosting Meet the Press, Chuck Todd pressed California Gov. Gavin Newsom on his plans to challenge President Joe Biden’s election bid in 2024.
As political timing goes, this interview is nearly perfect, as a recent CNN poll reveals that two of three Democrats would prefer another candidate to run for office in 2024. Given what many consider the relatively thin bench of candidates to challenge Biden, Newsom seems a likely replacement.
The full interview is set to air this coming Sunday, Todd’s last before he “leaves the chair” and Kristen Welker becomes anchor, but he appeared on TODAY to promote the interview and teased a short clip.
“Filing deadlines haven’t passed. President Biden doesn’t run,” Todd noted. “Why shouldn’t we consider you a likely candidate?”
Newsom took the high road and voiced his support for Vice President Kamala Harris, saying, “Well, I think the vice president is naturally the one lined up, and the filing deadlines are quickly coming to pass, and I think we need to move past this notion that he’s not going to run. President Biden is going to run, and looking forward to getting him reelected. I think there’s been so much wallowing in the last few months and handwringing in this respect. But we’re gearing up for the campaign. We’re looking forward to it.”
NBC News released transcripts for the coming interview, which puts Newsom’s answer in a larger context:
CHUCK TODD: Filing deadlines haven’t passed. President Biden doesn’t run, why shouldn’t we consider you a likely candidate?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Well, I think the vice president is naturally the one lined up and the filing deadlines are quickly coming to pass and I think we need to move past this notion that he’s not going to run. President Biden is going to run, and looking forward to getting him reelected. I think there’s been so much wallowing in the last few months, and handwringing in this respect. But we’re gearing up for the campaign. We’re looking forward to it.
CHUCK TODD: I understand –you know, but you hear these calls privately. What do you tell these donors who are wallowing in this?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Time to move on. Let’s go.
//
CHUCK TODD: And am I supposed to interpret that comment about the vice president that if for some reason the president chose not to run at this point –GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Well it’s the natural –
CHUCK TODD: – everybody rallies around her?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: It’s the Biden-Harris administration. Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned –
CHUCK TODD: And you respect that?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned about, you know, presidents and vice presidents. I was a lieutenant governor, so I’m a little subjective.
Todd then pressed Newsom on whether he could ever imagine running against VP Harris, to which he replied, “Of course not. By definition. Won’t happen.” While this portion of the interview did not air on TODAY, NBC’s transcript is below:
CHUCK TODD: Your relationship with the vice president. // Describe your relationship with her.
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: We knew each other before we were both in politics. The day I got sworn in as mayor, walked across the street, she got sworn in as district attorney. Extraordinarily close working relationship, including her time in the Senate, my time up here.
CHUCK TODD: You can’t imagine ever having to run against each other?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Of course not. By definition. Won’t happen. But we’ve – I’ve said that 1,000 times. We privately continue to maintain a very good relationship, interpersonal. Just, “How are you doing? Checking in.” It’s been a challenging few years with Covid. And we’ve had the opportunity to sit down, have lunch together in the White House, spend time talking about important things.
CHUCK TODD: So nobody’s upset?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: and trivial things.
CHUCK TODD: She’s not upset that you’re going to debate Ron DeSantis?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Maybe. Apparently someone in her office is, because I read some off-the-record quotes. I wish I knew who that was. But I don’t hear it from her so – and I’m certainly not hearing it from the White House itself.
It’s quite notable that Newsom is voicing unambivalent support for both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. It’s equally notable that he is appearing on arguably the most influential and storied Sunday morning political talk show amid Democratic hand-wringing over the 2024 nominee.
The full interview will air on Sunday morning’s Meet the Press on NBC.
Watch above via NBC.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
