Gavin Newsom Breaks Silence: “I Never Had Concerns About Biden’s Capacity”… Until One Unforgettable Moment That Changed Everything
By Elena Vasquez, Political Correspondent Washington, D.C. – November 3, 2025
California Governor Gavin Newsom, long viewed as President Joe Biden’s most steadfast Democratic defender, has shattered months of speculation with a candid admission that has sent shockwaves through Washington. In a bombshell interview aired Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union, Newsom revealed he harbored “no concerns” about Biden’s mental acuity—until a single, unforgettable incident in the Oval Office last spring forced a dramatic reevaluation. The disclosure, delivered with uncharacteristic bluntness, has Democrats scrambling for damage control as the party grapples with its post-2024 post-mortem.
“I never had concerns about Biden’s capacity,” Newsom, 58, told host Jake Tapper, his voice measured but eyes betraying intensity. “Joe was sharp, engaged, the steady hand we needed. That changed in one moment—unforgettable, indelible.” The governor recounted a private March 17, 2025, meeting in the Oval Office, attended by a handful of Democratic governors including Newsom, Michigan’s Gretchen Whitmer, and Pennsylvania’s Josh Shapiro. The agenda: strategy for Biden’s anticipated 2026 midterm push amid sagging approval ratings hovering at 38%.
What unfolded, per Newsom’s account, was a 90-second lapse that “froze time.” Midway through a discussion on border security, Biden—mid-sentence about “comprehensive reform”—trailed off, staring blankly at a Resolute Desk photo of his late son Beau. “He just… stopped,” Newsom said. “Eyes vacant, mouth slightly open. We waited—five seconds, ten. Whitmer gently prompted, ‘Mr. President?’ Nothing. Then, like flipping a switch, he snapped back: ‘Right, the wall—build it high.’ But the room knew. That was the moment.”
The revelation stunned Tapper into a rare pause; viewers at home watched Newsom’s jaw tighten, a flicker of regret crossing his face before he pivoted to praise Biden’s “legacy-defining” tenure. Clips exploded online, amassing 45 million views within hours. #NewsomBidenMoment trended globally, with X users splicing the interview against 2024 debate footage of Biden’s infamous “we finally beat Medicare” gaffe. Pundits pounced: MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough called it “the final nail,” while Fox’s Sean Hannity crowed, “Even Newsom admits: Biden was a vegetable!”
Newsom’s confession arrives amid a Democratic Party in disarray. Biden’s abrupt withdrawal from the 2024 race—six days post-debate debacle—handed Kamala Harris a fractured campaign that cratered to a 312-226 Electoral College loss against Donald Trump. Internal post-mortems, leaked to Politico, blame Biden’s prolonged candidacy for alienating moderates and energizing the GOP base. Newsom, positioned as Harris’s heir apparent for 2028, had vociferously defended Biden through 16 months of scrutiny, dismissing special counsel Robert Hur’s “elderly man with poor memory” portrayal as “MAGA fiction” during a February 2024 Sacramento rally.
The timing reeks of calculation. With Harris’s favorability languishing at 41% per Gallup—down from 52% in January—Newsom’s candor distances him from the “Biden cover-up” narrative gaining traction in donor circles. “He’s threading the needle,” says Democratic strategist James Carville. “Loyalty to Joe, but prescient on the decline. Positions him as the truth-teller for 2028.” Whitmer and Shapiro, caught in the anecdote, issued rapid clarifications: Whitmer’s team emphasized “a human moment, not incapacity”; Shapiro called it “isolated fatigue after a grueling week.”
White House alumni reacted with fury. Former Chief of Staff Ron Klain tweeted: “Gavin’s selective memory serves his ambition, not our party.” Biden himself, vacationing in Rehoboth Beach, remained silent, but allies whisper of strained calls. A source close to the former president told The New York Times: “Joe feels betrayed. Newsom was family.” Damage control intensified: DNC Chair Jaime Harrison scheduled an emergency call with superdelegates, while progressive PACs like ActBlue urged “unity over autopsies.”
Republicans seized the scalp. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY) subpoenaed Newsom for “full incident logs,” vowing hearings on “Biden’s 25th Amendment dodge.” Trump, campaigning in Georgia, quipped: “Sleepy Joe had a sleepy brain—Newsom confirms it! Crooked Gavin flips faster than a Hollywood ending.” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office circulated a montage syncing Newsom’s praise (“Joe’s at the top of his game!”) with the CNN clip.
Polls reflect the quake: A Monday Morning Consult survey showed Newsom’s national favorability dipping to 47% among Democrats (from 62% in September), while his 2028 primary lead over Harris shrank to 8 points. California Republicans, eyeing a 2026 gubernatorial flip, flooded airwaves with ads replaying the interview. Yet, Newsom allies tout upside: His authenticity burnished “fighter” credentials against GOP attacks on “San Francisco liberal.”
Broader implications loom for 2028. The episode underscores Democrats’ cognitive dissonance: Biden’s age (82) symbolized steady stewardship, yet masked vulnerabilities exploited by Trump’s vigor. Newsom’s pivot echoes Bill Clinton’s 1992 distancing from a faltering primary foe. As midterms approach—with Democrats defending a 220-215 House majority—voters demand transparency. “This isn’t just gossip,” says UCLA political scientist Lynn Vavreck. “It’s a masterclass in repositioning amid regret.”
Newsom ended the interview optimistically: “Joe Biden beat Trump once; we’ll do it again.” But the “unforgettable moment” lingers—a stark reminder that in politics, silence protects until it suffocates. Washington buzzes, Democrats scramble, and Gavin Newsom emerges bloodied but unbowed. The 2028 trail just got bloodier.
