Kristen Welker asked Gavin Newsom if it is responsible for Democrats to put Biden at the top of the ticket, and Newsom completely rejected her premise.
What did Gavin Newsom say in response to Kristen Welker?
Welker asked: “And yet, governor, there are some pretty tough numbers you have to deal with. 76% of voters say they have real concerns about President Biden’s ability to serve a second term. Do you think it’s responsible for Democrats to put him at the top of the list given these concerns?
Newsom replied: “Responsible? I revere his record. What he did in three years was a master class that created nearly 15 million jobs, eight times more than the last three Republican presidents combined. The economy is booming, inflation is cooling and is 0.6% higher than the 2020 sum of just 3.1% and wait a second, we have American manufacturing returning to home because of Biden’s wisdom and his temperance and his ability to lead in a bipartisan way which is an underrepresented point and I have great confidence for the future and will be absolutely all encompassing for the next four years in Biden.
Welker admitted that “voters,” a.k.a. the media, were not interested in Biden’s record and asked whether Biden needs to do more to dispel the age issue.
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Newsom responded in part: “It is because of his age that he has been so successful and because of his character that we have the CHIPS and Science Act, the PACT Act and the Safer Communities Act, and it is because of his understanding and to his leadership.” so the opportunity to express that for another four years, what a gift it is to the American people and as a Democrat, what a gift for me to support the cause of the leader of our party, Joe Biden.”
Video:
Kristen Welker asks Gavin Newsom if it’s responsible for Democrats to put Biden at the top because he’s old.
Newsom strikes in a radical way: “Responsible? I revere his record. What he did in three years was a master lesson.” pic.twitter.com/pKewgkNseb
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) February 25, 2024
Speaking of master classes, Gavin Newsom hosted a master class on how to take down media trolling about Biden’s age.
Kristen Welker’s questions to Newsom revealed that the media is attacking President Biden’s age because they have nothing else. The press can’t attack his record. They can’t attack Biden on the economy. There are no scandals related to Biden, so they must pursue the one thing the president can’t control: his age.
Newsom showed how Democrats should handle the issue of Biden’s age. Democrats should be skeptical that such an absurd question is being asked, because shaming the media for throwing away Biden’s record to focus on his age, which is a legitimate concern for both Biden and Trump, is not something that should be tolerated.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a member of the White House press pool and a congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a bachelor’s degree in political science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and professional memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Political Science Association