Newsom warns Michigan Democrats not to fall victim to Biden’s negativity

Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) defended President Joe Biden’s ability to serve a second term and warned voters in the key swing state of Michigan not to be “fatalistic” about his campaign amid questions about his age and mental health.

At a campaign appearance on Thursday, Newsom reiterated his support for Biden as the party’s nominee and sought to allay voters’ concerns that the president is not the strongest candidate to take on former President Donald Trump in November. These comments come even as Newsom himself has been discussed as a candidate to succeed Biden at the top of the ballot, something the California governor has no interest in doing.

“I have to convince you not to be fatalistic and not to fall victim to all this negativity,” Newsom told the group of Democrats. “I believe in this man. I believe in his character. I believe he was one of the most influential presidents in our lives together.”

Newsom’s visit comes at a crucial time as Democrats view Michigan as one of the key swing states to win in 2024. Trump won the state in 2016 before Biden won it in 2020 – making it one of the few swing states likely to determine the outcome of the November election.

The vote of confidence also comes against the backdrop of several Democrats and party donors openly considering replacing Biden at the top of the candidate list.

A group of donors and strategists are pooling their resources in a new political action committee to fund an alternative candidate should Biden drop out of the presidential race, according to a new report by ^ “New York Times: The New York Times”. Meanwhile, at least three Democratic lawmakers have publicly called on Biden to drop out of the race, increasing pressure on the president as he seeks to convince voters that he can handle a second term.

Concerns about Biden’s age have been present throughout his time in office, but they were especially heightened after the first presidential debate. The president performed worse than expected last week, making several verbal slip-ups and repeatedly losing his train of thought.

Biden’s performance has reportedly prompted some major donors to put their money toward lower-ballot elections rather than the White House, and others have even gone so far as to threaten to withdraw their funding from the Democratic Party altogether if Biden does not resign.

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Gideon Stein, a donor with close ties to the Democratic Party, said his family would withhold about $3.5 million in planned donations to nonprofits and political organizations involved in the presidential campaign if Biden does not withdraw his donation, according to the New York TimesAbigail Disney, heiress to the Disney family fortune, also said Biden’s campaign and the committees supporting the president “will not get another dime from me until they bite the bullet and replace Biden at the top of the ballot box,” the outlet reported.

Biden, however, has insisted he will not drop out, arguing his performance was due to his busy travel schedule and intense debate preparation. The White House has also denied reports that the president is in talks about withdrawing from the race.