Newsom shuts down 2024 speculation: 'Move on'

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has insisted he will not run for president in 2024 and that Vice President Kamala Harris would be the natural Democratic candidate in the event Biden does not run.

The governor has long ranked among the top Democratic contenders should Biden decline to seek a second term and his recent public spats with Republican candidates such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have led many to suspect he intended to mount such a campaign.

Newsom, however, has attempted to put such thoughts to rest, telling NBC's Chuck Todd in an interview to be aired Sunday that he tells people asking about his 2024 plans "[t]ime to move on. Let's go."

He further opined that Harris would be the party's obvious leader in the absence of Biden. 

"I think the vice president is naturally the one lined up... It's the Biden-Harris administration," he said, though he further asserted Biden would likely follow through with his own reelection campaign.

"President Biden is going to run, and we’re looking forward to getting him reelected," he went on.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.