It’s clear that the Democratic Party is shifting away from President Joe Biden, whose old age and diminishing poll numbers are driving voters away. As more Democrats join the fray against the president, it remains to be seen whether California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) will throw his hat in the ring.
CNN seems concerned at how well Donald Trump is polling with "black voters" saying the numbers are "startling "
The latest New York Times poll shows Trump winning by a large amount against Biden in 2024.
When will the Democrats bring in Newsom?pic.twitter.com/SqlelHOPha
— sonofabench (@therealmrbench) November 8, 2023
Although Newsom hasn’t officially announced his run for president, the California governor has taken trips to China and will soon debate prominent GOP candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). As such, many believe that Newsom fully intends on running for president against Biden, with some saying that the California governor is running a shadowy presidential campaign.
Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) is among those predicting that Newsom will soon run for the White House.
“I think it’s a no-brainer. Every governor from a big state wants to take that shot,” Schwarzenegger said, per The Guardian.
Some Democrats don’t appear thrilled by a potential Newsom presidential campaign.
Speaking at Iowa, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) issued a scathing rebuke of Newsom, comparing the California governor to Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who recently announced his presidential bid.
“[There are two] running for president right now,” Fetterman said. “One is a congressman from Minnesota, the other is the governor of California, but only one has the guts to announce it.”
Newsom has also tried to influence political affairs thousands of miles away from his state — an action, experts say, is a clear indication that one is willing to run for president, especially in Newsom’s capacity.
“South Carolina is an early state in the primary process for Democrats, and doing well in the early states is seen as momentum for later ones,” Eric Schickler, a professor of political science at the University of California, Berkeley, and co-director of its institute of governmental studies, said.
“In fact, Biden’s win in South Carolina is really what propelled him to the top 2020, so building connections to important politicians in the state can certainly be seen by potential candidates as an important step.” Schickler added.
Although Newsom has denied having his sights set on the White House in 2024, Schickler believes that since polls are showing the president trailing Trump and concerns over Biden’s age increase, Democrats will turn to the California governor.
