Biden laughs off question about Gavin Newsom being Democrats’ ‘Plan B’ in 2024

WASHINGTON — President Biden dismissed a reporter’s question Tuesday about whether his three-day fundraising trip to California is cover for lining up Golden State Gov. Gavin Newsom to replace him atop the Democratic ticket in November.

“You’re going to California. Is this about coming up with a Plan B for 2024 — does Gavin need to stand by?” the journalist asked Biden on the White House lawn as he departed.

The 81-year-old president jokingly replied: “Are you ready?” and added, “Well I’m looking for— I’m looking at you. We’re looking at you.”

Newsom, 56, has been accused of running a “shadow campaign” for the presidency just in case Biden has to exit the contest for health reasons, though the governor has publicly said he’s foursquare behind the incumbent.

Biden already is the oldest-ever president and would be 86 if he completes a full second term.

His allegedly fading cognitive capabilities were noted in special counsel Robert Hur’s blistering report this month on Biden’s alleged mishandling of classified information, compounding what polling already found was a major election liability.

If Biden were to abruptly drop out, there could be a scramble for the nomination featuring Newsom and others, such as Vice President Kamala Harris and Govs. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania and Jared Polis of Colorado.

Biden grew flustered as reporters attempted to ask further questions Tuesday, saying, “hey, woah, woah, woah, woah” to quiet the din.

“What I came to tell you was we’d be announcing sanctions on Russia,” Biden proceeded to say, repeating a staff announcement hours earlier. “We’ll have a major package announced on Friday.”

Biden took one more question about the November election before boarding his Marine One helicopter.

“Who would you rather challenge in November; Nikki Haley or Donald Trump?” a reporter asked.

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“Oh, I don’t care,” Biden said before walking away — with video of the response quickly clipped and circulated on X by the president’s re-election campaign.

Trump, 77, lost to Biden by narrow swing-state margins in 2020 but is leading Biden in most recent national and battleground polls.

Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination and is expected to crush Haley, his final significant GOP rival, on Saturday in the former South Carolina governor’s home-state primary, where polls show Trump up by more than 25%.