Poll: Could Gavin Newsom defeat Donald Trump?

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, acting as a surrogate for President Biden after Thursday night’s debate, once again deflected questions about whether he could potentially replace Biden on the Democratic ticket.

“No, our candidate is Joe Biden,” Newsom told reporters. “I look forward to voting for him in November.”

Calls for Biden’s resignation intensified after the president’s lackluster performance Thursday night. Many prominent Democrats are now openly expressing concern that he can no longer lead the party to victory against Donald Trump in November.

Do you think Newsom could defeat Trump? Vote below:

Each state has already held its presidential primaries. Democratic rules require the delegates Biden won to support him at the party’s next national convention unless he tells them he is dropping out of the race.

Biden indicated he had no plans to do so, telling his supporters in Atlanta shortly after leaving the debate stage: “Let’s move on.” Biden campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt was even clearer, saying Friday: “Of course, he’s not giving up.”

Political parties control the conventions and their rules. The Democratic National Committee could meet before the convention opens on August 19 and change how things work, but that’s unlikely as long as Biden wants to continue running for reelection.

Current rules state: “Elected delegates to the national convention committed to a presidential candidate must, in good conscience, reflect the feelings of those who elected them. »

The Associated Press contributed to this report.