At last night's APEC welcome reception in San Francisco, President Joe Biden "joked" about a future presidential run by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
"I want to talk about Gov. Newsom. Want to thank him," Biden said. "He's been one hell of a governor, man. Matter of fact, he could be anything he wants. He could have the job I'm looking for."
From SF Gate:
Newsom, the governor of California, has for years been a rumored presidential candidate. Those rumors have subsided slightly in recent months, as Newsom has taken on more of a surrogate role for Biden's 2024 re-election campaign. But even a full-throated endorsement of Biden hasn't fully killed off the presumption that Newsom is waiting in the wings, either as a 2024 last-minute replacement, or for a full-fledged 2028 run.
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, for instance, insulted Newsom during a recent speech, saying he doesn't have the "guts" to formally announce a presidential primary campaign. Newsom's trips to Israel and China also raised some eyebrows.