California Governor Newsom heads to Atlanta for Biden-Trump debate

SACRAMENTO – California Governor Gavin Newsom is returning to the national spotlight.

During a week of intense negotiations over California’s proposed retail crime laws, the governor is traveling to Atlanta for Thursday’s presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

Within the first 60 seconds of connecting, Pre-recorded State of the State Address On Tuesday, Governor Newsom spoke about the upcoming election.

“This year, we face another extraordinary moment in California’s history, for the country and for the world,” Newsom said. “We face a choice between a society that adheres to our values ​​and a world darkened by division.”

Republican legislative leaders were quick to respond.

“We hear Gavin Newsom complaining about Republican states. We want to hear about California,” said James Gallagher, the Republican minority leader in the House.

Now, with this first presidential debate, Newsom is bound for Atlanta to defend Biden as a surrogate in the spin room.

This comes during a week of high-stakes political negotiations in the state of California over retail theft legislation and last-minute jockeying to pass legislation backed by the governor or for a statewide ballot.

Leaked emails first reported by CBS13 in June show the governor’s involvement.

Zev Yaroslavsky, a political science professor at UCLA, tracks the governor’s national ambitions. He said Newsom’s decision to leave California this week for the debate probably wasn’t difficult for him.

“What’s the optics?” » said Zaroslavsky. “People who like them will think it’s no big deal. People who don’t like them will think it’s a terrible thing.”

Yaroslavsky said technology allows the governor to multitask.

“Wherever you are, you are never disconnected, even in Antarctica,” Yaroslavsky said.

Newsom was also in the Ronald Reagan Library spin room after the Republican presidential debate last fall.