Newsom takes aim at Democrat defectors who've urged Biden to step down

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, a top surrogate for the Biden re-election campaign, on Tuesday took aim at the small but growing number of Democratic lawmakers urging the president to end his re-election bid. 

"It doesn’t help. Let’s be candid here," Newsom said as he spoke with reporters in New Hampshire, the third swing state that the governor has campaigned in on behalf of Biden since Thursday.

Asked by Fox News about the political damage from such calls from within the party, Newsom said, "Obviously, it’s not helpful, but it’s a handful of people."

And the governor emphasized that the "overwhelming majority of the caucus" is still supporting Biden. "Every single stop that we’ve had in the six days that I’ve been out, we’ve had to change venues because there were so many people showing up. They’re not giving in to the cynicism, fear, they’re showing up."

Newsom spoke with reporters soon after White House officials defended Biden's health and denied he was ever treated for Parkinson’s disease. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre fielded a barrage of questions on Monday afternoon over recent reports that a top neurologist at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center met with Biden’s physician at the White House in January.

"Has the president been treated for Parkinson’s? No," she told reporters after being pressed further on the matter. "Is he being treated for Parkinson's? No, he’s not. Is he taking medication for Parkinson’s? No. So, those are the things that I can give you full-blown answers on."

Asked if he had any concerns about Biden's cognitive abilities, Newsom responded, "I don’t."

"I have spent as much or more time than probably any other governor in the country with him," Newsom emphasized. "I’ve spent a lot of time with him privately, been with him in many public settings. I was with him just a few days ago with other governors. Been on the phone late at night and early morning, in many, many stressful situations and very casual conversations. And no, I don’t have any doubt about that."