‘Of Course Not!’ Gavin Newsom Shuts Down Chuck Todd Asking If He’d Ever Run Against Kamala Harris

California Governor Gavin Newsom shot Chuck Todd down in no uncertain terms when Todd asked if he’d ever run against Vice President Kamala Harris.

There has been heightened media chatter about finding an alternative to President Joe Biden due to his age, as well as Republican attacks on VP Harris.

In a preview of an interview that will air on this week’s edition of NBC’s Meet the Press, Todd asked Newsom about the chances he’d mount a presidential run in 2024, and Newsom replied that even if Biden were to bow out, Harris would be the natural choice.

Todd also asked about Newsom’s relationship with the VP, and whether he would ever run in an election against her:

CHUCK TODD: And am I supposed to interpret that comment about the vice president that if for some reason the president chose not to run at this point –

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Well it’s the natural –

CHUCK TODD: – everybody rallies around her?

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: It’s the Biden-Harris administration. Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned –

CHUCK TODD: And you respect that?

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Maybe I’m a little old-fashioned about, you know, presidents and vice presidents. I was a lieutenant governor, so I’m a little subjective.

CHUCK TODD: Your relationship with the vice president. // Describe your relationship with her.

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: We knew each other before we were both in politics. The day I got sworn in as mayor, walked across the street, she got sworn in as district attorney. Extraordinarily close working relationship, including her time in the Senate, my time up here.

CHUCK TODD: You can’t imagine ever having to run against each other?

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Of course not. By definition. Won’t happen. But we’ve – I’ve said that 1,000 times. We privately continue to maintain a very good relationship, interpersonal. Just, “How are you doing? Checking in.” It’s been a challenging few years with Covid. And we’ve had the opportunity to sit down, have lunch together in the White House, spend time talking about important things.

CHUCK TODD: So nobody’s upset?

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: and trivial things.

CHUCK TODD: She’s not upset that you’re going to debate Ron DeSantis?

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Maybe. Apparently someone in her office is, because I read some off-the-record quotes. I wish I knew who that was. But I don’t hear it from her so – and I’m certainly not hearing it from the White House itself.

Watch above via NBC’s Meet the Press.