Newsom Admits Biden’s Mental Decline Was Obvious at Clooney Fundraiser: ‘We Were All Taken Aback’

California Governor Gavin Newsom now admits there was at least one moment that made him question Joe Biden’s mental capacity — the infamous Hollywood fundraiser where Biden failed to recognize longtime friend and A-list actor George Clooney.

Appearing on NBC’s Meet the Press Sunday, Newsom claimed he had never doubted Biden’s fitness for office — with one glaring exception.

“The one exception, as it relates to the interaction I had with him, that gave me pause, was the fundraiser in Southern California,” Newsom said. “And all of us were a little taken aback.”

That June 2024 event — a glitzy Los Angeles fundraiser co-hosted by Clooney — reportedly left attendees stunned when Biden didn’t recognize the actor he’d known for years. CNN’s Jake Tapper later detailed the moment in a book, revealing Clooney was “shaken to the core.”

Less than two weeks later, Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump sealed his political fate, forcing him to drop out of the race within a month.

Despite the public unraveling, Newsom spent months defending Biden as a historic leader. “He was one of the most successful presidents in the last century,” he told NBC. “I will defend that to my grave.”

Still, he admitted Sunday that he privately raised concerns about Biden’s debate performance. Asked why he didn’t go public, Newsom said, “It wasn’t my job to go out there. My job was to give him the space.”

Newsom dodged a direct question on whether he thought Biden was fit for another four years, saying only, “There was no interaction I had that suggested otherwise.”

But many Democrats — including insiders in Biden’s orbit — have openly acknowledged the reality. The president’s refusal to step aside sooner created panic within the party and left the door wide open for Trump’s return.

During the interview, Newsom also addressed his recent comments about considering a 2028 presidential run. When asked why he wants to be president, he snapped, “I’m not suggesting I am.”

“There’s nothing I dislike more than a politician that sits there and lies to you,” he added. “We’ll see what happens.”

Despite repeated speculation that Newsom would challenge Biden in 2024, he stood by the now-former president throughout the campaign — even as Biden stumbled in public and in private. Now, after months of denial, Newsom appears to be quietly rewriting history.