Donald Trump says Gavin Newsom would be an ‘easy’ opponent if Joe Biden drops out of 2024 race

Former US president Donald Trump in a recent interview said that California Governor Gavin Newsom would be an “easy” presidential opponent after speculating that he might not face President Joe Biden in the November general election.

During a Sunday talk with Maria Bartiromo on the Fox News programme Sunday Morning Futures, Trump expressed scepticism that he’d face Biden in a rematch.

“Personally, I don’t think so,” the former president said.

He then pivoted to Newsom, lacing into the two-term governor who has been a fierce defender of California’s Democratic values and a key surrogate for the Biden campaign.

“I’ll tell you what … he’s so much bull****,” Trump said of Newsom. “His state is doing horribly. You look at the homeless problem, you look at the people that are leaving. You have companies that are leaving; they are all leaving for other locations.”

“I think Gavin’s easy because California is a disaster,” he added.

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Newsom, who debated one-time Republican presidential contender and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis last November, has been a frequent critic of Trump.

“He can’t be beaten in a primary, but in a general election I think he’s the most flawed candidate in my lifetime,” Newsom said of Trump during a January interview with MSNBC’s Alex Wagner. “He is damaged goods.”

While California has seen its population decline in recent years, there’s been a significant level of development in interior counties as many residents have moved away from the state’s expensive coastal cities.

And despite the population loss, California remains the most populous state in the country, with roughly 39 million people.

Biden is on track to secure the Democratic presidential nomination after sweeping the South Carolina primary last Saturday with over 96 per cent of the vote.

But the president has been plagued by low approval ratings and his standing in the key swing states that he’ll need to win re-election has been shaky, with Trump running even or ahead of him in numerous polls taken since last year.

During the Fox News interview, Bartiromo also asked Trump about the possibility of running against former first lady Michelle Obama, a long-held rumour that many Republicans have floated over the years.

“Look, I’ve seen polls where she doesn’t do well. She may do well, but I’ve seen polls where I beat her easily,” Trump claimed.

Michelle Obama has previously panned the idea of running for president and Newsom last year said he was firmly behind Biden’s candidacy.