What Gavin Newsom said when asked point blank if he would run for president after Biden's interview flop

California Governor Gavin Newsom has said he has nary volition of making a tally for nan presidency should nan Democrats tally an unfastened normal successful Chicago next month.

The mobility came successful nan aftermath of President Biden's lackluster capacity successful a tv question and reply connected Friday and a disastrous statement capacity past month.

Both person near galore Democrats pinch wide doubts astir his expertise to run aliases govern effectively.

A number of salient Democrats are now desperately looking for imaginable alternatives should 81-year-old Biden exit nan race. 

But Newsom brushed speech immoderate suggestions that he mightiness beryllium nan 1 to return his spot successful consequence to questions from a reporter.

'No, I mean it's not even...' Newsom started. 

'Absolutely not?' nan newsman asked.

'To me, it's nan hypothetical that gets successful nan measurement of advancement successful position of promoting this candidacy,' Newsom continued.

'That's a legit question, but it's precisely wherever nan different statement wants america to beryllium is having this soul conflict and I deliberation it's extraordinarily unhelpful.  I said that virtually nan 2nd aft nan debate. It was my first nationalist comments. So I've been accordant successful this belief, not conscionable privately, but publicly.' 

Biden made it done nan 22-minute ABC News question and reply connected Friday without immoderate awesome blunders but it appeared improbable to afloat tamp down concerns astir his property and fittingness for different 4 years and his expertise to conclusion Donald Trump successful November.

The question and reply near Biden successful a standoff against a not-insignificant faction of his statement pinch 4 months to spell until Election Day, and pinch conscionable weeks until nan Democratic National Convention. 

Last week, Newsom offered a forceful defense of Biden telling Democrats successful Michigan that he believes nan president has nan grounds and power to triumph a 2nd term.

Newsom's transportation astatine a section Independence Day picnic is portion of an effort from Biden's reelection run and nan White House to reassure statement activists and nan broader electorate that Biden is up to nan job.

'This is simply a superior infinitesimal successful American history. It's not complicated,' Newsom told Van Buren County Democrats astatine a July Fourth picnic. 'What I request to person you of is not to beryllium fatalistic, not to autumn prey to each of this negativity. ... Do more. Worry less.'

Newsom's plea highlights nan tenuous equilibrium for Democrats and statement lieutenants for illustration nan 56-year-old governor.

Newsom has agelong been a apical Biden run surrogate and was among nan governors who rallied down nan president aft a backstage White House convention connected Wednesday.

Yet Newsom himself is among those mentioned arsenic imaginable replacements should Biden measurement speech and let an unfastened normal erstwhile Democratic delegates convene successful Chicago adjacent month.

The politician has continued to sidestep questions astir imaginable outcomes, including a mobility astir whether he would support Vice President Kamala Harris, a chap Californian, for nan information if Biden leaves nan race.

'I don't moreover for illustration playing successful nan hypotheticals, because past nighttime was astir benignant of locking down immoderate uncertainty aliases ambiguity,' he said, referring to Biden's convention pinch Democratic governors. '

And past we commencement moving successful different directions, zigging and zagging and each that benignant of speculation. And that gets successful nan measurement of progress.'

Newsom acknowledged 'a reliable fewer weeks' and admitted he had to scrap his planned talking points erstwhile facing reporters successful Atlanta pursuing nan debate.

 But he said Biden reassured him and different Democratic governors past Wednesday astatine nan White House, wherever nan president acknowledged his flop but expressed determination to triumph his rematch pinch Trump.

'That was nan Joe Biden I retrieve from 2 weeks ago. That was nan Joe Biden that I retrieve from 2 years ago,' Newsom said. 'That's nan Joe Biden that I'm looking guardant to reelecting arsenic president of nan United States, and I mean that.'

According to 3 group acquainted pinch nan meeting, Biden acknowledged to nan governors that he needs to get much slumber and limit evening events truthful he tin move successful earlier and beryllium fresh for nan job.

Newsom did not reside those explanations during his 15-minute remarks. He told reporters afterward that Biden referenced precocious nights 'with a grin connected his face.'

'It was much of a rhetorical model of conscionable being fresh and rested, because he was burning it astatine some ends that past last 10 aliases truthful days (before nan debate), and I deliberation that was what he was reflecting,' Newsom said. 'It wasn't a literal "at 8 o'clock I will beryllium doing things differently," it was much figurative.´'

Newsom said it's okay erstwhile a 'president acknowledges they're human' and added that group are 'reading betwixt nan lines excessively much' connected what Biden said astir his schedule.

Despite nan governor's confidence, starring Democrats stay concerned astir whether Biden tin rebound politically. 

The president's aides and friends work together that nan coming days are critical, pinch Biden readying a visible, engaged schedule that could stem immoderate free autumn successful nationalist assurance - aliases further solidify elector concerns that he is excessively aged for different term.

On Friday, Biden campaigned successful Wisconsin, a cardinal battleground that he won successful 2020, earlier sitting down for an question and reply pinch ABC's George Stephanopoulos which grounded to calm fears complete Biden's suitability arsenic he gave long, rambling, non-sensical answers to galore questions.

At times, Biden rambled during nan interview, which ABC said aired successful afloat and without edits. 

At 1 point, he started to explicate his statement performance, past veered to a New York Times poll, past pivoted to nan lies Trump told during nan debate. Biden besides referred to nan midterm 'red wave' arsenic occurring successful 2020, alternatively than 2022.

Asked really he mightiness move nan title around, Biden based on that 1 cardinal would beryllium ample and energetic rallies for illustration nan 1 he held Friday successful Wisconsin. When reminded that Trump routinely draws larger crowds, nan president laid into his opponent.

'Trump is simply a pathological liar,' Biden said, accusing Trump of bungling nan national consequence to nan COVID pandemic and failing to create jobs. "You ever spot thing that Trump did that benefited personification other and not him?"

Biden plans to clasp a afloat news convention during nan NATO acme successful Washington adjacent week.

Newsom, meanwhile, has attempted to impulse nan statement religious to clasp Biden's grounds and values. 

'I judge successful this man. I judge successful his character. I judge that he has been 1 of nan astir transformative presidents successful our corporate lifetimes,' Newsom said. 

'We're truthful bully astatine focusing connected what's incorrect and not celebrating what's right.'