Kimberly Guilfoyle ripped into her ex-husband, California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, during conservative Turning Point USA‘s America Fest on Sunday amid speculation he could be eyeing the White House.
Newsom easily won reelection in the nation’s most populous state in November and has been floated as a potential alternative candidate should President Joe Biden forego a second White House bid. Newsom’s embrace of liberal policies helped boost him to the national stage, drawing criticism from Republicans, who unsuccessfully tried to recall him in 2021.
Guilfoyle, a prominent right-wing personality who is engaged to Donald Trump Jr. and was married to Newsom from 2001 to 2006, taunted her ex-husband over alleged presidential aspirations during a speech at the conservative conference on Sunday.
“In California, they have vowed to get rid of gas-powered cars with no explanation of how they are going to fund and power alternatives. A bunch of winners over there, folks. Ask me how I know,” Guilfoyle said.
Alex Wong/Getty Images; Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
She added that Newson “ain’t making it to the White House.”
The California governor’s current path to the White House is notably complicated by President Joe Biden’s incumbency—at least in the 2024 race. Although Biden has not made an official campaign announcement, he has indicated he intends to run for a second term.
Newsom sparked renewed questions about whether he was considering jumping into the presidential race last week when he visited the U.S.-Mexico border—amid conservative criticism that Biden has not gone to the border as the number of migrants seeking asylum continues to grow.
During his visit, Newsom stopped at a testing, vaccination and resource center in Mexicali, Mexico. He defended the Biden administration’s handling of immigration, praising him for putting “forward a comprehensive plan focused on securing our border.”
Newsom has sought to downplay speculation that he would run for president in 2024, telling Politico in late November that he promised to “everyone in the White House” that he won’t challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination .
What Polls Say About Gavin Newsom’s Chances of Winning the White House
Polls show that, despite pushback from some Democrats, Biden would be favored to win renomination.
Although Biden has not formally announced a 2024 presidential bid, he has indicated that he intends to run for a second term. Polls show that he would be favored to win renomination should he run. A November Emerson College poll found Biden winning support from nearly 42 percent of Democratic primary voters. Only about six percent said they would vote from Newsom.
Even if Biden does not run, polls show Newsom trailing other candidates in a Democratic primary. A YouGov poll conducted earlier in December found that—if Biden does not run—Vice President Kamala Harris, also of California, would receive support from most Democrats.
Harris polled at 19 percent, while Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg received 14 percent of the vote. Thirteen percent of respondents said they would vote for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, while only 10 percent said they would back Newsom.
A Turning Point USA straw poll, conducted among conservatives in July, found that Republicans believed Newsom would be the most difficult Democrat to defeat in a 2024 presidential race.
Newsweek reached out to Newsom’s office for comment.
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