GAVIN Newsom is one of several potential names that could replace President Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate.
The California governor was spotted at the very first presidential debate for the upcoming 2024 Presidential election on Thursday.
Newsom‘s presence in the CNN spin room during the event in Atlanta, Georgia had many attendees wondering why he was even there.
According to Newsom, he was there to cheer on Biden, 81, as he went head-to-head with former president Donald Trump.
“Biden is confident,” Newsom, 56, told reporters per Bloomberg.
“He’s got a record and he’s got a vision for the future.”
However, Biden’s frail appearance and raspy voice left many people with a cloudy vision of said future.
Shortly after the 90-minute debate, many people started speculating that Newsom had become the backup candidate for the party should the president be pushed to decline the nomination.
The California governor, who has been one of Biden’s most staunch supporters, has long been rumored to be running a shadow campaign in case Biden fails to secure the nomination.
Newsom has insisted that he would not be the Democratic nominee in November.
‘I would never turn my back on President Biden. I don’t know a Democrat in my party that would do so,” Newsom told Metro.
“And especially after tonight, we have his back.”
“We run, not the 90-yard dash. We are all in. We’re going to double down in the next few months. We’re going to win this election.”
Should Newsom refuse the offer, many have speculated that the Democrats would turn to Vice President Kamala Harris.
Many have pointed out, however, that poor approval ratings have dogged the former California senator who is too closely entwined with Biden’s presidency.
Find a complete list of people who might take over the Democratic nomination should Joe Biden step down
Some people have also speculated that former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton might try to reenter the race.
However, Clinton has vehemently stated that she would not run against Biden.
“The choice in this election remains very simple,” Clinton, 76, wrote on X Thursday morning.
“It’s a choice between someone who cares about you—your rights, your prospects, your future—versus someone who’s only in it for himself,” she before adding “I’ll be voting Biden.”
It is currently unclear what would happen if the party were to push for Biden to step down.
According to the Democratic National Convention rules, delegates can “in all good conscience reflect the sentiments of those who elected them.”
Should Biden decide to step down, the political party’s charter does include provisions on how to replace the nominee in the event of a vacancy.
Despite his performance at the debate, Biden has signaled that he would be willing to meet Trump in a second debate.
