Newsom says Biden should debate Trump, 'beat' him like in 2020

California Gov. Gavin Newsom called on President Biden to debate former President Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner, arguing that the president could "beat" Trump like he did in 2020.

"Biden beat Trump in the prior debates. I look forward to it," the California Democrat said during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

The comment comes as Biden has so far refused to commit to debate Trump, who has a commanding lead in the Republican presidential primary race. Trump, on the other hand, has called on the president to debate him "immediately," arguing such an event would be "for the good of the country."

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President Biden and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (Getty Images)

Trump's desire to debate Biden comes despite his refusal to appear for debates against GOP primary foes, something Newsom argued Sunday was "weakness masquerading as strength."

"This is... pure projection on a guy who refused to debate in his own primary," Newsom said.

But not everyone believes Biden has much to gain by debating Trump ahead of this year's election, with the topic recently becoming the subject of a heated debate between the co-hosts of "The View" earlier this week.

Former President Donald Trump gestures to supporters during an election night watch party on Feb. 24, 2024, in Columbia, South Carolina. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

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Co-host Sara Haines had particularly strong feelings on the topic, warning that only Trump would benefit from the two candidates squaring off.

"Biden can lose, he can lose in a debate," Haines said. "Trump will not. The people supporting Trump will support him whether he’s there or not. Biden makes one mistake, and the people who are undecided are out." 

Newsom's comments also come as speculation about his desire to jump into the race have continued to swirl, something the California governor said Sunday was off the table.

Former President Trump and President Biden (Getty Images)

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"I am here celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of the Biden-Harris administration," Newsom said, calling the continued speculation about his potential run "idle chat" and a "sideshow."

"It's not even an interesting conversation," Newsom continued. "I think it's a damning conversation, frankly, the other side wants us to have… they love ginning this stuff up."