Overview
- Gavin Newsom has spent the past 18 months defending Joe Biden’s record and courting the former president’s circle as part of a broader bid to build support for a possible 2028 presidential campaign.
- Most recently Newsom hosted Hunter Biden on his podcast, a high‑visibility personal outreach that signaled closeness to the Biden family and suggested Hunter may campaign for Newsom in the future.
- People close to Biden reportedly view Newsom more warmly than many other potential 2028 contenders, giving him a potential advantage in securing an influential endorsement or goodwill from the former president.
- Strategists and critics warn that embracing Biden could help Newsom in a Democratic primary because Black and Latino voters remain relatively favorable toward Biden, but it could also hand Newsom the Biden administration’s liabilities — on immigration, inflation and foreign policy — to be used by general‑election opponents.
- The move deepens intra‑party divisions already exposed by the 2024 debate and public critiques from figures such as Kamala Harris, and it sharpens the test for Newsom as he nationalizes his profile through policy fights, media appearances and travel ahead of a likely White House run.