'You don't turn your back!': Newsom defiantly pushes back on calls for Biden to step down

My colleague Alex Wagner is standing by right now with California Governor Biden's surrogate, Gavin Newsom. Alex, I cannot wait for this conversation. Well, neither can I. Well, you, you guys can't see it, but there's there. Like all of Trump's short list VP nominees are walking around on the ground. Nobody wants to talk to them. It was like human piranhas descending on the governor after the end of this debate. Governor, let me just, I mean, what was your reaction to what we saw on screen? Well, not on the substance. He won the debate. I'm old school. I'm old fashioned. That's what matters to me. About the lies. I was taking notes about all the lies. I ran out of paper. Donald Trump, no accountability on those lies. Talking down the American economy, talking down our democracy, that was alarming. This is a world we're living in now. Donald Trump created where 13 year olds have to deliver the child of the person that impregnated him. This is a world that Donald Trump has created. And so for me, it was daylight and darkness. And I'm very proud of the president's record and I'm very proud for his vision of the future. I mean, let's talk about the substance, though, because I feel like on the signature issue that Democrats have, which is abortion, the president's response was garbled and undirected at best. Do you feel like he did what he needed to on an issue that could motivate voters in the? I think it's significantly insignificant because it's de minimis, because the American people have made-up their minds. They don't support the policies of Donald Trump. They certainly don't support his policies or his assertion. Somehow the American people always wanted this to be states rights, which was laughable and absurd. So from that perspective, I don't think that will matter. You saw it in all the elections since Dobbs where Democrats are over performing, over performing. We keep winning and we have to keep our mind. So I think for all of us, worry less and do more with the opportunity to turn the page. We have the opportunity to put our heads down. We have the two opportunity to universally have the back of this president who's had our back. You don't turn your back. You go home with the one that brought you to the dance. 100% all in. And I was very, very proud that he was able to articulate the work that he's done and lay a foundation of understanding of the lies and the deceit that continue to come out of Donald Trump's. You were out there getting a chorus of questions about whether Biden should step down. There is panic that is set in. Well, there is panic that is set in among people who have watched this debate, who are Democrats, people who are strategists and some even inside Democratic campaigns. Do you think it's unfounded? Well, I think it's unhelpful and I think it's unnecessary. We've got to go in and got to keep our heads high. And as I say, we've got to have the back of this president. You don't turn your back because of one performance. What kind of party does that? It's been a master class, 15.6 million jobs. That's eight times more than the last three Republican presidents combined. The only thing the last three Republican presidents have in common is recessions. Democrats deliver. This president is delivered. We need to deliver for him at this moment. With all due respect, the more time we we, we start having these conversations go down these rabbit hole is unhelpful to our democracy, our fate and future of this country, the world. They need us right now to step up. And that's exactly what I intend to do. Not to belabor the point, but I mean, this was a Biden campaign strategy. This was their idea to do this, this debate now. Yeah. And I wonder what you think they got out of it. What was Biden's strongest moment from this debate in your mind? Well, again, back to the substance. He got stronger. He had more stamina over the debate. But was there one moment that you think sticks? Well, you know, it's difficult to assess. I need a little bit more objectivity and time away from this in the context of trying to pick those moments. But look at the bottom line is this was an opportunity to sort of still the essence of what this campaign's about. You're hearing the messaging from the Cam campaign distilled down. What that key message? Just turn the page. Go to North Carolina tomorrow. We'll get there. Out there on the road. Surrogates need to step up. We need to step in to support this grassroots effort all across the United States. We need to raise money and we need to understand what's at stake if we don't. We need to understand what's at stake if we turn our back at this critical time. There's too much if, if, if Biden and Trump are remembered for any particular line. To me, it seemed like it would be the line. I didn't have sex with the porn star, which is not something we've heard on a debate stage before. No, when you use the words I didn't have sex with a porn star, you're not winning, You're losing at that case. Yes, I know. I know. Our friends in New York have questions for you. So if we could go back to New York City. Rachel. Hey, Governor Newsom, it's Rachel Maddow here. Thank you so much for taking time here when you said worry less and do more. Do what? What do you think that people who support President Biden, people in Democratic politics, people who are planning on voting for him, who are worried that he seemed older than they expected tonight, that he didn't seem to reassure people on stamina issues, as Joy was saying before, what, what should people do? We'll talk about what he has done and what he's done recently, what he's delivered, and bipartisan, unprecedented legislation, an infrastructure bill, the CHIPS and Science Act, the work that he's done across the spectrum of issues to deliver for the American people and the vision he's laid out for the future and contrast that. Not just lifting up those issues, but contrast that and drive that contrast of the dystopian vision that Donald Trump has to the future. It's a binary choice at the end of the day. And so we've got to drive that contrast even harder. And Trump didn't make that better tonight because he continued the lies and the grievances and the retribution and the language that no one does want to see moving forward. He's all about the past. American reverse. He wants to bring us back to a pre 1960s world, Voting rights, civil rights, LGBTQ rights, women's rights, access to abortion, access to contraception. That's what we need to talk about. That's what's on the ballot. Democracy, the fate and future of this country for that matter, our alliances around the world. We need to buck up and focus on what's at stake and not navel gaze and not look back. You look forward. It's always about tomorrow. Everything's about tomorrow in terms of, of, of bucking up and, and not navel gazing and, and moving forward. If you were to advise the campaign how to turbocharge, how to kick up into another level, I do think they're going to have to make up ground they didn't previously have to make up because of this debate performance. What can they do that they're not doing? Should they do the second debate in September? Should they change course in some of the ways that they are trying to communicate? I hear you making a very strong case for President Biden's record, but I don't know what they should do to make that case more strongly than they have been. Well, I think you just double down on what we're doing. We're all we're all about to add to six states across this country. I'm just doing my small part. There's hundreds and hundreds of us that will be going out. We have a clear message. We've clear contrast with Donald Trump and his performance tonight and is doubling down on lies and deceit. We have that opportunity to build a grassroots to get people to recognize what's at stake if we don't unify as a Democratic Party. And again, it's a choice. This is a choice election. And so, look, all I know what to do is wake up tomorrow and do more and do better and worry less. It's about action, it's about passion, it's about purpose. And it's about having the back of a president that's had our back. Governor Newsomits den Saki, I wanted to ask you, we've talked a lot about President Biden and his performance and his accomplishments. If you, if voters out there could see one answer from Donald Trump tonight or one moment that stuck out to you where you thought people cannot elect this man, what would that be? I mean, what should people out there who have social media platforms who like President Biden be pushing out there that was damaging and terrible from Donald Trump tonight? The most the way he talks about immigrants offends me. I live in the most diverse state in the world's most diverse democracy. 27% of my state is foreign born. It's not question of tolerating that. We celebrate. It's a point of pride. We practice pluralism. The way he talks about immigrants, the way he talks down to the American people in terms of what makes this great, this nation so great, and that's our capacity to live together and advance together across our differences. These are fundamental. It's not about one quick clip. It's about all of the things stacked together that represent not only what he said tonight, but what he said over his entire career. He doesn't have your back, period, Full stop. We must have the back of the president United States. Joe Biden at this critical moment and focus on tomorrow, focus on the future, focus on the vision, a compelling vision that will night this country moving forward and talk about the stakes of falling short, liberalism, illiberalism, daylight, darkness. Governor, I am sensing a frustration with the format of this debate, the reduction, the reductivist nature of the debate, the sort of carnival like atmosphere of the debate and a desire to get back to the essence of the issues and the choice ahead for the American public. Having said that, there is another debate scheduled. Yeah. Do you think that Joe Biden should participate? I absolutely. I mean, we've all had those nights, all of us. Not one person watching hasn't had those nights. Well, we've not all been in president. But it's not about debates. You have good moments, you have bad moments. You wake up the next day, you dust it off and you move forward. It's all about resiliency. That's what the American people are about. That's what the American economy is about. That's what Joe Biden's been about his entire life. I've seen this over and over this movie before. Oh, Joe Biden should pack it up in the primaries. He's got no chance after Iowa. He never gives up. He's never giving up fighting for us, fighting for democracy, our future kids, our grandkids. So we've got to have his back in this respect. And yeah, I hope he does come back. And I hope he is back on the stage in another debate. Absolutely. Well, if he is, I'm sure we're going to want to talk to you after that one, too. Governor, I know you have a busy day job. Thank you for your time tonight. We really, very, very deeply appreciate it. Great to be with you. Thanks back to you, Rachel. Alex Wagner, N California Governor Gavin Newsom. Many thanks to you both, Jen.