WATCH: Gavin Newsom Shares Thoughts On Whether Joe Biden Should Step Down

California Governor Gavin Newsom was asked whether he would be interested in replacing President Biden if the Democratic Party opts to force him out during their August convention.

While Thursday night’s opening presidential debate did not feature a studio audience, Newsom joined U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Mary Trump and others at the Biden Campaign spin room in Atlanta.

While Newsom framed President Biden as a strong and competent option to leave his party before the debate, he was bombarded with questions over the future after Biden put on what has widely been viewed as a catastrophic performance. Despite the fact that he has repeatedly turned down the notion that he could replace Biden as the Democratic nominee, Newsom has long been viewed as a frontrunner on the off chance the president did decide to step down.

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“Are you going to be the next Democratic nominee?” Newsom was asked by a reporter shortly after the debate. “No, our nominee is Joe Biden. I’m looking forward to voting for him in November. He’s going to be our nominee,” the California governor answered.

“Because you know that everybody is talking about you as a possible nominee now,” the reporter followed up, at which point Newsom turned and started to walk off without answering the question.

Questions surrounding Biden’s future and his potential role moving forward were continuously directed Newsom’s way throughout the night.

“You were out there getting a chorus of questions about whether Biden should step down. There is panic that has set in,” MSNBC’s Alex Wagner told Newsom. “They shouldn’t be,” he replied.

Wagner then referenced a report about Democrat strategists, donors and elected officials holding internal discussions on the possibility of replacing Biden and asked the governor for his thoughts.

“Well I think it’s unhelpful,” Newsom said. “And I think it’s unnecessary. We’ve gotta go in and keep our head high, and as I say, we’ve gotta have the back of this president.”

Newsom continued, “You don’t turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that? It’s been a masterclass.”

The governor then repeated the false claim that Biden created more than 15-million jobs, a figure that includes workers who were returning after COVID-19 shutdowns. “This president has delivered. We need to deliver for him at this moment,” he said.

“With all due respect, the more time we start having these conversations, go down these rabbit holes. It’s unhelpful to our democracy, our fate and future of this country, the world. They need us right now to step up. And that is exactly what I intend to do.”

Newsom is not the only Democrat who has been considered as a top option in the event President Biden steps down, a notion the campaign has thoroughly rejected. CNN’s Anderson Cooper pressed Vice President Harris over Biden’s performance and asked whether he should resign in the hours following the debate.

Biden’s running mate rejected the idea and attempted to frame his performance as substantive and competent, stating that President Biden is “strong.”

“Listen, people can debate on style points, but ultimately, this election and who is the President of the United States has to be about substance. And the contrast is clear,” Harris said.

Former President Barack Obama also attempted to assuage his party’s fears after the debate. “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself,” the former president wrote in an X post.

“Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November.”

In a statement released Friday, President Biden made clear that he intends to remain in the race and debate former President Donald Trump once again in September. “Not only does @POTUS not plan to drop out, Biden remains committed to a second debate in September,” the campaign wrote in an X post.

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