A crisis communications expert says this is Gavin Newsom’s chance to get what he wants: the presidency

• Now that the dust from the disastrous presidential debate has settled, perhaps it’s time for one governor to shine.

• Government Gavin NewsomThe nation’s war room is likely considering how to make the most of it, says a former Republican strategist.

• But Newsom reaffirmed his support for it Bidenunderscoring his commitment to the party.

If Gov. Gavin Newsom were ever to seriously consider running for president, now might be the time, a former Republican Party strategist says.

The high-stakes presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former president President Donald Trump It wrapped up Thursday night, and it went horribly for Biden.

Evan Siegfried, a former GOP strategist and crisis communications specialist, told Business Insider shortly after the debate: “There will be others within the Democratic party who will quietly wonder whether or not Biden should drop out.”

And Siegfried thinks the people who work for California Gov. Gavin Newsom are now thinking about how to make the best of a bad situation.

He said Newsom’s people “will be smart enough, or at least hard-hearted enough, to think, ‘OK, how do we give Newsom what he really wants: the presidency?'”

Newsom could be one of Biden’s most viable replacements. At 56, the governor of California — a state that, if it were its own nation, would be the fifth-largest economy in the world — has positioned himself as a national voice on immigration and gun safety.

Newsom also survived recall attempts by conservative activists, who went after him for imposing pandemic restrictions and accused him of failing to address homelessness in the state.

Will Newsom even run for office?

The governor has supported Biden for years and has indicated that he will not run for office in 2024.

In the summer of 2022, he told the White House that he fully supported Biden’s re-election, according to Politico.

He maintained this position when asked the same question by the Associated Press in June 2023, saying that “not on God’s green earth” would he dream of challenging Biden in the primaries.

Even during his much-publicized feud with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, he seemed determined not to run, despite getting significant airtime as they sparred on the Fox News debate stage while DeSantis was still eyeing the GOP nomination.

When asked later in September whether he would run for president, Newsom’s answer, however, was not a straight “no.”

In an interview that aired September 25, “60 Minutes” correspondent Cecilia Vega asked Newsom, “You may be fired here, but does cleaning the streets in California play a role in a possible presidential election?”

He gave a noncommittal answer and said, when Vega pressed him again, “That was a—that was a never-ending answer to your question.”

Newsom holds his ground

After Thursday’s presidential debate, Newsom maintained his staunch support for Biden.

When asked what he thought of the debate and whether he would reconsider a presidential bid, a Newsom BI representative referred to his interview on MSNBC with host Alex Wagner.

When Wagner asked whether Biden should resign, Newsom replied, “You don’t turn around for one performance. What kind of party does that?”

He added: “This president has delivered. We need to get results for him right now.”

Aside from Newsom, other candidates could replace Biden if he drops his reelection bid — including Vice President Kamala Harris, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar and more.

As far as the current playing field is concerned, Trump emerged victorious on Thursday evening and with great satisfaction.

“President Trump delivered the greatest debate performance and victory in history before the largest audience of voters ever, and made it clear how he will improve the lives of every American,” his campaign officials said in a statement to the press.

Representatives for Biden did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

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