Biden campaign sending Newsom to GOP debate

President Biden’s reelection campaign is sending California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to the Republican presidential primary debate to lead response efforts.

Newsom will be on the ground in Simi Valley, in his home state, to push back on Republican comments and highlight anything the Biden team deems to be extreme rhetoric out of the debate. The governor will lead that effort alongside Biden-Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez and Democratic National Committee Chairman Jaime Harrison.

“The campaign response builds off the strong and effective plan from the first debate with a clear north star: push back on Republicans’ lies and highlight their extremism at every turn. Our response will ensure we hold every Republican and their extreme positions accountable,” Biden campaign advisers said.

The Wednesday debate will be hosted by Fox Business Network and is expected to have a large focus on the Republicans’ economic strategy. Former President Trump is not expected to join the debate, after not attending the first one in August, but the Biden campaign expects the so-called MAGA agenda to be on display.

“You can expect the Biden campaign and our allies to point out the stark contrast between Bidenomics and the extreme MAGAnomics policies we’ll hear on the debate stage,” advisers said.

“The timing of next week’s debate, as MAGA Republicans are willing to shut down the government unless Donald Trump gets his way, shines a brighter spotlight on economic impacts of the extreme MAGAnomics agenda. On the debate stage, Republicans will have to answer whether they’re on the side of the MAGA shutdown or with the American people,” advisers added.

The Biden campaign slammed Trump on Thursday for rooting for a government shutdown after the former president called on Republican lawmakers to use the looming government funding deadline as an opportunity to withhold funds from the Justice Department, which has indicted him in two separate cases.

Ahead of the debate, the Biden campaign also said it will put a focus on “Latino political power” during Hispanic Heritage Month, and with Univision being a debate partner.