California Gov. Gavin Newsom, one of the prominent Democratic politicians seen as a possible successor to Biden if he drops out of the presidential race, blasted former President Trump on Thursday, saying he was “trying to take us back to the world before the 1960s.”
Newsom then said the former president “wants to see” the United States go backwards when it comes to “voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights.”
“Donald Trump is trying to take us back to the pre-1960s world,” the California governor said in footage filmed by Fox News on Thursday. Highlighting From Grabien News.
Newsom has long been a strong supporter of Biden and has attacked both President Trump and Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over the past 18 months.
In doing so, the California governor also drew attention to his own political future, despite making it clear this year and last year that he would not challenge Biden.
New questions are swirling around Biden today, after his awkward performance at last week’s debate highlighted concerns about the 81-year-old president’s fitness to serve. Biden has a high-profile interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos on Friday night.
Newsom continued to back Biden after the debate. To tell On Wednesday, she posted on social platform X that Biden had “our backs” but “now it’s time for him to back us up.”
Besides Newsom, others being mentioned as possible candidates to replace Biden include fellow Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Mich.) and Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.), Vice President Harris and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, with Harris widely seen as the front-runner.
The White House insisted Wednesday that Biden was not withdrawing from the presidential race, and in a fundraising email sent the same day said no one was “trying to get rid of me.”
“I am the Democratic candidate,” the fundraising email said. “No one is trying to get rid of me. I have no plans to go away. I am going to fight this race to the end. And we are going to win this election. If that’s all you want to hear, please support me by donating a few dollars.” [Harris] And I’m going to defeat Donald Trump in November.”
The Hill has reached out to the Trump campaign.
