California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) insists that he is not running for the presidency in 2024 - that he is supporting President Joe Biden for reelection - but Newsom's actions certainly seem to suggest otherwise.
The Washington Examiner recently published a report demonstrating how Newsom has been moving himself to the middle of the political spectrum.
Why else would Newsom be moving to the middle other than to set himself up for a presidential run? He certainly does not need to move to the middle to better his political career in California.
As the Examiner put it:
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is the leader of one of the most Democratic states in the country, known for leading the way in progressive causes, but he has made several moves that deviate from the Golden State's norm.
At the moment, there is perhaps no better example of Newsom's move to the middle than his stance on the Israel-Palestine war.
The Examiner points out that, unlike many Democrats - including even Biden, at times - Newsom has made it absolutely clear that he stands with Israel, and not with those Democrats who have aligned themselves with the Palestinians. Newsom even demonstrated his solidarity with the Israeli people by taking a trip to Israel.
This, of course, has put Newsom at odds with the so-called progressive Democrats. But, he has not backed down. In fact, according to the Examiner, not only has Newsom criticized the progressives for their support of Palestine but he has also criticized them for not supporting efforts to combat California's homelessness problem.
In addition to this, the Examiner highlights the fact that Newsom, this year, vetoed several bills that were supported by California Democrats.
The Examiner reports:
Newsom vetoed a bill in September that would have required judges to consider whether a parent would "affirm" a child's gender identity when deciding custody cases in the Golden State . . . He also vetoed a bill that would have banned discrimination based on caste . . . [and he also vetoed a bill] putting a statewide cap on insulin prices, a bill that would have required public high schools to make condoms freely available, legislation that would have eased restrictions on Naloxone, and a bill that would have allowed cannabis retailers to have food and alcoholic beverage licenses.
In recent months, Newsom has insisted that he is not running for the presidency in 2024 - that he is supporting the reelection of Biden.
In September, for example, NBC News reported:
[Newsom] said his message to donors wondering if the nominee will be someone besides Biden is: "Time to move on. Let's go."
But, if this is the case, then why is Newsom moving to the middle? Why did he recently debate 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis? Why does he continue to try to garner a national spotlight?
If Newsom really wanted people to stop speculating about whether or not he is gearing up for a 2024 run, he would stop doing these things. But, he has not.
So, the speculation continues.
