In a recent gathering in Iowa, Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) made headlines by raising concerns about California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approach toward a potential presidential aspiration. Fetterman pointed out the suspicion that Newsom might be running a shadow campaign for the White House while publicly expressing support for President Joe Biden’s bid for a second term.
Fetterman stated, “There are two additional Democrats running for… president right now. One is a congressman from Minnesota, the other one is the governor of California, but only one has the guts to announce it.”
Fetterman Knocks Newsom: Running For President But No ‘Guts’ To Announce https://t.co/9d5cmFoFBj pic.twitter.com/WXp1hwAq4q
— Daily Wire News (@DailyWireNews) November 5, 2023
The congressman from Minnesota he mentioned is Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who recently declared his candidacy for the Democratic presidential primary, calling for a “new generation of American leaders.”
Meanwhile, the jab at Newsom stems out of him claiming that he is deferring to President Biden’s re-election campaign. However, his actions have stirred speculation about his own political ambitions.
Newsom’s travels to Israel and China, along with his willingness to engage in a debate with Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is vying for the GOP presidential ticket, have raised eyebrows. Newsom even jokingly expressed a desire to be the president to handle foreign affairs more effectively. For some social media users, the joke was a slip of his desire for the White House.
Fetterman is not the only one that has questioned Newsom’s intentions these past few weeks. Just last week, liberal comedian Bill Maher echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that Biden should not seek a second term during a conversation with Phillips, who recently entered the Democratic presidential primary race.
“I mean, Gavin Newsom, our governor, seems to be all over the world,” Maher observed after mentioning that he is running “a shadow campaign.”
Meanwhile, Newsom has not outrightly denied the accusations, as he even failed to directly clarify whether or not he plans to run for president during an interview with 60 Minutes.
