Gov. Gavin Newsom has chased headlines from Sarasota to Beijing this year, but the California Democrat's international tour has raised questions about ulterior motives.
"Newsom seems to be pulling out all the stops to run a shadow campaign across the country and the globe," Shroff said. He pointed specifically to Newsom's recent China and Israel trips, which he said the governor offered"tortured logic for." Newsom has similarly been accused of running a campaign in waiting by prominent figures such as Sen. John Fetterman and late-night host Bill Maher.
But not everyone was so critical of Newsom's latest moves. According to Democratic strategist Rich Luchette,"It makes sense" for the California governor."If he decides to run for president in 2028, Gov. Newsom will be one of the leading contenders," he said. Earlier this year, his PAC Campaign for Democracy set off on a red state tour, during which Newsom promoted progressive policies in Republican-voting areas, including in Florida, the home state of 2024 GOP contenders former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis .
"The clear effort by Newsom to position himself as the 2028 standard-bearer for the party overlooks our historic ," said Shroff, who claimed the event is disrespectful. However, the Biden team views Newsom as an effective surrogate and has not voiced concerns of disrespect.