Gavin Newsom faces key challenge if he wants to takeover presidency from Joe Biden

California Gov. Gavin Newsom faces one key challenge if he wants to join the presidential race, a political expert said.

Newsom has long been rumored to be a presidential candidate, but those rumors have subsided in recent months as Newsom has taken on a more surrogate role for Biden’s 2024 re-election campaign.

But now it seems that Newsom has gained Biden’s support for his own job.

Speaking at an APEC welcome reception in San Francisco on Wednesday, President Joe Biden joked about a possible Newsom presidency.

Biden said: “I want to talk about Gov. Newsom. 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.”

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This comes as Newsom’s recent trips to Israel and China have raised some eyebrows, suggesting that he is waiting in the wings to announce either a last-minute 2024 run or a full-on 2028 run.

But political expert Peggy Grande told Daily Express US that Newsom running for president would be a “terrible” idea.

Grande said: “Californians would agree that Newsom has been a hell of a Governor - a hell of a terrible Governor who has turned much of California into a hellhole.

“The rest of the nation looks at California and thinks it is utterly insane.”

Grande also pointed out one key challenge that would get in Newsom’s way if he were to run for president: the Midwest.

Grande said: “I think it would be hard for Newsom’s slick hair and crisp white shirts to impress the hardworking people of the Midwest and make them want to risk turning the nation into California.

“California is a beautiful state with abundant natural and human resources which has put itself last in the nation in nearly every category due to progressive policies which have made life more expensive, less safe, and less free than anyplace else in the nation.

“The one thing California does lead in, though, is people leaving it.”

But Grande added that when given the choice between Newsom and Biden, voters might choose Newsom due to increasing concern over Biden’s age.

Grande said: “If Democrat voters look at the choice between Joe Biden and Gavin Newsom, they will prefer Newsom because he can at least string two sentences together and will likely be coherent for four more years, even if his policies are bad for California and wrong for America.”

A new poll conducted by Emerson College Polling, called “Inside California Politics,” shows that in a hypothetical matchup between Newsom and former president Donald Trump, Newsom would carry California by a slightly wider margin than Biden.

The poll consisted of 1,000 registered voters and was conducted from November 11 to November 14, with a three percent margin of error.

The survey shows Biden with 50 percent support in California and Trump with 37 percent.

However, when Newsom replaces Biden as the hypothetical Democrat nominee, Newsom leads with 53 percent compared to Trump’s 35 percent.

The poll also found that Vice President Kamala Harris would defeat Trump in California in a hypothetical race, 47 percent to 38 percent.

Despite Newsom’s success in the survey, Grande said it would still be “tough” for him to beat Biden.

Grande said: “The pathway for Newsom would be tough to be the Democrat nominee since Joe Biden seems intent on staying in the race.

“And, if for some reason he didn’t, Kamala Harris is waiting in the wings. The Democrats make their own rules though, so anything could happen.”

Grande added that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., running as an Independent candidate would not be a threat to Newsom if he were the Democratic nominee.

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