After President Biden’s poor performance in the debate, some Democrats have raised the possibility of him stepping back for a new nominee, with California Governor Gavin Newsom mentioned as a possibility — but how would he handle the border crisis?
If Biden resigns immediately, Vice President Kamala Harris would automatically succeed him. But if Biden says he does not seek a second term, the Democratic National Convention could choose a new nominee for 2024.
Newsom has been repeatedly mentioned as a potential presidential candidate, though he has not announced a bid for either the 2020 or 2024 races. But his name has gained attention after last week’s presidential debate, in which he was the first to vote for the Democratic presidential nomination. Biden is widely was seen performing poorly.
How will President Harris tackle immigration, border crisis?
If he succeeds Biden, he could inherit a thorny situation at the southern border. Though numbers have come down in recent months, they are still higher than in the years before Biden, after which the US repeatedly broke records for encounters.
Unaccompanied minors walk toward US Border Patrol vehicles after crossing the border from Mexico in El Paso, Texas, on May 09, 2023. (John Moore/Getty Images)
Newsom will have some experience on the issue as he is the governor of a border state. He has also been vocal on the topic in a number of ways, and as a close Biden ally will likely represent a continuation of the approach taken by the Biden administration.
In April, he fully supported Biden’s efforts to get more money and a comprehensive immigration reform bill from Congress.
“Let’s be clear: President Biden is doing everything he can to fund border security and humanitarian efforts, while Republicans in Congress are choosing to foment chaos at the border for political gain,” he said.
Newsom supported a Biden-backed bipartisan Senate package this year that would provide more funding to border communities and cities receiving migrants while also imposing some limits on border admissions. But he, along with Biden, accused Republicans of undermining reform efforts.
Biden vows to save White House, undeterred by Democratic jitters after debate fiasco
His office had earlier pointed this out California move Providing more than $1.3 billion for humanitarian assistance and related services to local communities since 2019. Awards to nonprofits have sheltered more than 500,000 migrants since 2021.
But while they are pushing to prioritize funding, there are also signs that governors could take more radical steps than President Biden.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to reporters after the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, in Atlanta, Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
This year, California became the first state to offer health insurance to all illegal immigrants, regardless of age. Treatment — California’s Medicaid program. The ambitious move, which builds on previous steps allowing young adults and the elderly access to insurance, was expected to help more than 700,000 illegal immigrants in the state.
Newsom told reporters it was based on a theory.
Trump raises ‘remain in Mexico’ plan to solve historic border crisis
“In California, we believe everyone deserves access to quality, affordable health care coverage — regardless of their income or immigration status,” he said.
However, he later faced criticism from activists when he moved to stop payments for caregivers in the homes of disabled people living illegally in the country. The move was aimed at saving about $94 million as the state was facing a deficit.
Some outlets He also noted that Newsom neither criticized nor praised Biden’s executive order limiting asylum claims when a certain level of encounters is reached.
For more coverage on the border security crisis, click here
Instead, he focused on criticizing Republicans, claiming they “are only interested in playing politics.”
Newsom has also taken an aggressive stance against Florida’s efforts to send migrants to his state, and has signaled he may continue the Biden administration’s strategy of suing red states that have taken immigration matters into their own hands.
Click here to get the Fox News app
last year when Florida Governor Ron DeSantis After the flights were dispatched to California, Newsom suggested he might file a kidnapping charge against his Republican counterpart.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
