President Joe Biden said while campaigning for Gov. Gavin Newsom in California that if the Democrat is ousted in Tuesday's recall election, voters will end up with a "clone of Donald Trump" as governor.
Between the lines: Although Biden never mentioned him by name, conservative talk radio host Larry Elder has emerged as Newsom's biggest threat. Elder in 2019 described Trump's 2016 election win as "God-sent," and state Democrats have sought to imply that a vote for him is a vote for Trumpism.
Yes, but: Elder has said he's "indifferent" on the matter of being endorsed by former President Trump, telling CNN: "If he would like to give me the endorsement, fine. If he does not want to give me an endorsement, that's fine too. I haven't asked him. I haven't requested it."
What he's saying: Biden told voters at Monday evening's rally in Long Beach that they "can either keep Gavin Newsom as your governor, or you'll get Donald Trump."
- "It's not a joke," he added. "A Republican governor blocking progress on COVID-19 who is also anti-woman, anti-worker, a climate denier, who doesn’t believe in choice. The choice should be absolutely clear."
The big picture: Biden is the latest high-profile Democrat to throw his full support behind Newsom, against GOP-led efforts to oust him.
- Vice President Kamala Harris and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have campaigned for Newsom in California, and former President Obama appeared in a campaign video for the governor.
- Elder told reporters last week that top Democrats were throwing their support behind Newsom because they're "scared to death" he'll lose, per CNN.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
