California Gov. Gavin Newsom hobnobs with billionaires in Vegas ahead of Super Bowl, as speculation mounts over Joe Biden's future

Sightings of Newsom have fueled speculation he has his eye on the White HouseJoe Biden was branded senile in a bombshell special counsel report last weekCalifornia governor seen as strong contender for Democrat nomination  

Ultra-progressive California Governor Gavin Newsom is in Las Vegas ahead of Super Bowl and is spending his time in Sin City hobnobbing with billionaires and Tom Brady, as speculation mounts that Joe Biden will stand down.

On Friday, Newsom, 56, was a surprise guest at Fanatics billionaire Michael Rubin’s hot 100 luncheon at LAVO – a swanky restaurant at the upscale Palazzo hotel.

The restaurant, which bills itself as offering ‘authentic Italian flavors and unforgettable experiences’, specializes in seafood – including a lavish $225 ‘plateau grande’ that comes with an entire lobster and kaluga caviar.

Other specialties include a $99 ribeye, a $57 lobster and scallop linguine, a $72 rack of veal and a $54 roasted Chilean seabass.

California Governor Gavin Newsom is pictured with San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York in Las Vegas Saturday night, as the pair attended a Super Bowl party

Newsom is seen here with comedian Kevin Hart. Recent speculation about Joe Biden’s fitness for office has sparked speculation that the California governor could try to become the Democrat nominee for president

While he was at lunch, Newsom’s office released a statement announcing a crime crackdown in Oakland – a city plagued by car jackings and thefts, and which has seen an exodus of businesses as a result.

Cynics believe Newsom is plotting a run for president – and knows he needs to crack down in lawlessness in California if he is to be trusted to run the country.

Newsom was also expected to attend Rubin’s huge Fanatics Super Bowl party at the Cosmopolitan hotel today.

A source told DailyMail.com of the California Governor: ‘He’s friends with Michael. He should be here at some point.’

His weekend with movers-and-shakers comes as Biden, 81, faces fresh claims that he is too old to govern, after a special counsel report into classified documents branded him a senile old man with memory issues.

If Biden chooses not to run in the November election, Newsom is seen as a strong possible contender for the Democrat nomination.

Along with Brady, Newsom was joined at the Marquee Day Club by Kevin Hart, Gabrielle Union, Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh Sperry Teller.

Rapper Travis Scott was also at the party, as were Odell Beckham Jr, Ludacris, A$AP Ferg and Russell Wilson accompanied by Ciara.

Newsom smiles for a photo with sportscaster Rich Eisen. He has insisted he has no plans to run for president – although with pressure mounting on Biden to stand down, his circumstances could change

The lunch that Newsom attended boasted an even more impressive guest list: with Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and MLB Deputy Commissioner all at the event.

NFL and NBA owners also attended, among them Patriots owner Robert Kraft, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, 49ers owner Jed York and Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck.

Newsom is known for his expensive taste – and was subjected to a recall petition after being photographed eating mask-less at the French Laundry, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Napa Valley in the summer of 2020.

Covid rules that banned large gatherings and said diners must replace their mask between bites were all in place at the time.

But it is California’s homelessness crisis, rising crime rates and soaring fentanyl deaths that has seen him come in for the most criticism.

Despite years of residents pleading to fix the crisis, progress has been painfully slow. In November, San Francisco briefly cleaned up its act during the APEC conference which Newsom described as ‘cleaning house’ when someone comes to visit – comments that saw him widely panned.

Last week, Newsom humiliated Oakland’s woke DA Pamela Price, pictured, by sending in state prosecutors to try and clean up the crime-ridden city. His behavior led political pundits to think he is plotting a big move – and that he knows he needs to sort out California’s crime problem if he is to be trusted in higher office

Since then, the City by the Bay has returned to recent form with DailyMail.com reporters noting squalid conditions in the run-up to Super Bowl earlier this week; among them the now familiar open drug taking and tent-filled streets.

In response to the crisis, the California Governor has begun taking steps to solve the problem and announced a crackdown on crime in Oakland yesterday – in a statement released while he enjoyed his luxury lunch.

The announcement said he is sending 150 California Highway Patrol troopers to Oakland to help the city’s police department deal with a recent explosion in crime.

‘An arrest isn’t enough,’ he added in a statement. ‘Justice demands that suspects are appropriately prosecuted.

‘Whether it’s ‘bipping’ (break-ins) or carjacking, attempted murder or fentanyl trafficking, individuals must be held accountable for their crimes using the full and appropriate weight of the law.’

The crime surge has been largely blamed on Oakland prosecutor Pamela Price whose liberal approach to law and order includes lower jail terms to increase ‘equity’ in the city.

‘As you all know the governor’s office along with the attorney general announced that we are forming a partnership with them to address some of the crime activity that has been happening in Alameda County, particularly Oakland,’ Price said in the wake of Newsom’s announcement.

‘We appreciate that the governor, along with the attorney general, has agreed to provide additional resources for the prosecution of violent crime as well as primarily narcotics activities as well as auto theft.’