Newsom insists he’s not running for president and says he backs VP Kamala Harris: ’No ambiguity’

Gov. Gavin Newsom insisted on Monday that he’s not running for president in 2024 and tried to tamp down speculation that he’s eying a spot on the Democratic presidential ticket by backing Vice President Kamala Harris. 

“The answer is no,” the California Democrat told CNN on Monday when asked if he’s considering a 2024 presidential run. “No ambiguity.”

Newsom contends that he’s never even given a presidential run a thought.

“No. I’m not that guy. I’m just not,” he said when asked by Dana Bash if he thinks he’d make a good commander in chief.

The Golden State governor prompted conjecture about his own White House ambitions earlier this year after appearing for an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity and challenging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to debate their state’s contrasting policies.

Newsom, 55,  also said Monday that he believes that Harris, 58, is “absolutely” the best person to be President Biden’s running mate in 2024. 

“Of course she is,” he said. “Biden-Harris administration, master class in terms of performance. Bipartisan deals on infrastructure, bipartisan deals on guns and debt ceiling, on the CHIPS and Science Act.”

“I mean, by definition, if I think this administration, last two, two and a half years, has been one of the most outstanding administrations the last few decades, and she’s a member of that administration, she gets to lay and claim credit to a lot of that success. The answer is absolutely,” he said.

Newsom argued that Democrats need to get “out of this sort of navel-gazing about Joe Biden, and let’s get going.”

“Let’s get on the train. This train has left the proverbial station,” he said.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dodged a question from the same network last week when asked if the historically unpopular Harris is the best person for Biden, 80, to have on the ticket in 2024.

“He [Biden] thinks so,” Pelosi told CNN’s Anderson Cooper. “And that’s what matters.”