Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) and members of his administration laughed out loud as a reporter asked if Newsom might be better than President Joe Biden to go up against ex-President Donald Trump, then pushed back with effusive praise of Biden.

Chatter about Biden’s age reached a fever pitch when special counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s handling of sensitive documents dropped, and was chock full of damaging asides about him and his memory.

Biden responded to the report Thursday night in a fiery press scrum, and other officials and allies have followed suit, calling Hur’s report inaccurate and overtly politicized.

At a press conference to announce new housing grants, a reporter asked Newsom about the Hur report, and whether “81-year-old President Biden” is a better choice than Newsom to beat Trump.

Gov. Newsom — often mentioned as a potential successor to Biden — laughed, then effusively praised Biden and expressed unequivocal support:

REPORTER: The special counsel report that came out last week against it for President Biden. It had, quote, he is a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory. What do you think of this?

And then also for, the 2024 election. Does 20– does 81 year old President Biden have a better chance of beating Donald Trump than you? (laughter) And do you disagree with 86% of Americans who think he’s too old to run?

GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM: Well, I appreciate, the question in the framing, but, I also appreciate my president and, and his performance.

I’m a little old fashioned. I care about results. I care about governing. I care about people that deliver. And I care about people’s record and, and what President Biden has accomplished in just three years is the most significant list of accomplishments in my lifetime.

And I don’t say that lightly. I say that knowingly, because we’re quite literally here as a beneficiary of those accomplishments. The Homekey motto was inspired by the partnerships that we formed with this administration. The remarkable investments in the infrastructure bill, the remarkable Investments, CHIPS and Science Act, the remarkable and unprecedented investments across a spectrum including Safer Communities Act and new investments in mental health and gun safety.

The work he’s done to eliminate that, for so many, that are burdened with student loans, I can go on and on. The work he’s done in terms of his alliance management. NATO is stronger and it’s larger than it’s been. Russia’s weaker than they’ve ever been.

The work he did as it relates to strengthening our alliances, including perhaps, some of the most and most consequential as it relates to, the partnerships now and the new strategic alliances with Japan and South Korea in relationship to what’s going on around the globe.

So I’m very proud of this president, and I’m very enthusiastic to be out there on the campaign trail for him. When asked, the answer’s yes. And I say that enthusiastically, regardless of time of life. And, I am very, very proud to be a Democrat and proud to support his reelection.

Watch above via pool.

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