President Biden's lackluster performance in the first 2024 debate with former President Trump ended with a tough question about whether Biden should end his campaign, a question that California Gov. Gavin Newsom, the president's top surrogate in Atlanta, was forced to answer.

“I think it's unhelpful and it's unnecessary,” Newsom told MSNBC after Thursday's debate. “With all due respect, the more we have these conversations and the more we get lost in these limbo, the less helpful it is to our democracy, to the fate and future of this country and the world. They need us to stand up now, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.”

Mr Newsom stepped into a throng of reporters after the debate to deny rumors about whether he would be the party's nominee, after some Democrats were in a state of panic, shaken by the president's performance, in which he stammered and occasionally stuttered when answering the moderator's questions.

“No, our candidate is Joe Biden,” a frustrated Newsom said as he was surrounded by reporters. “I look forward to voting for him in November.”

Veteran political consultants and party leaders suggested Biden's performance could hurt him in the polls but disputed claims the debate would have a significant impact on the race. Support from senior Democrats including Newsom and Vice President Kamala Harris helped defuse the furor.

Republican political consultant Mike Madrid explained the concern was due to “a lot of bedwetting.”

“It was not a good night for Biden,” Madrid said, “no question about it. It was disastrous.” Asked if it would dramatically change the trajectory of the campaign, he said, “No.”

Regardless of how the race affects Biden, Newsom stands to gain politically whether his preferred candidate wins or loses.

A Biden victory would benefit California and its governor's policy agenda, but a loss would leave the left coast state and its governor as the nation's biggest Democratic challenger to President Trump's White House.

If Biden loses, Newsom will once again be leading the Democratic resistance from California.

A return to the legal battles and social media squabbles over immigration, climate change and health care that dominated his first two years as governor has raised his profile and could put him in a good position to run for president in four years' time.

Meanwhile, Biden's reelection would almost certainly be a positive for the state and for Newsom's ability to implement his progressive policies.

“There are a number of policies that Trump is implementing that are not good for California,” said Lori Cox-Hann, chair of the American presidential studies department at Chapman University's Doi B. Henry School of Public Policy, “but it also certainly presents an opportunity for Gavin Newsom to provide strong, decisive leadership, if he's up to the task, and that will be a pretty big test.”

In a recent interview before the debate, Newsom spoke about his concerns for California if Trump wins, vowing to push back mass deportations of immigrants, Efforts to combat climate change Restrict abortion.

Newsom said he was concerned the Trump administration would “get tougher” and there would be no transition period. The Trump team is “already disbanded,” he said, “and they're ready to go.”

In preparation, Governor Newsom said he is working to “future-proof” the state.

The governor said his administration is working with California Attorney General Rob Bonta to review past cases and new precedents to understand where the state may be vulnerable. Newsom's aides are studying conservative policies outlined in “Project 25,” the Trump administration's second-term handbook, to better understand “what they might be pushing,” he said.

“We're analyzing exactly what protections are in place, what we can do legislatively, as well as looking at executive action,” Newsom said.

Newsom said his staff is discussing with the Biden administration what pending actions, requests and waivers the federal government can take before the end of the president's first term. He is also closely examining federal funds that California has not spent to ensure the Trump administration “cannot recoup.”

Daniel Zingale, who served as Newsom's chief communications strategist when he took office, said people speculating about the political benefits Newsom would get if Trump were elected often have no experience in governing.

“It's so one-dimensional and simplistic to say, 'Oh, that's good politically for the governor of California,' because anyone who has governed under President Trump will tell you it's difficult,” Zingale said.

Zingale said the 100 lawsuits the state has filed against the Trump administration have been a waste of time.

“Lawsuits are going after Trump the way Taylor Swift fans are going after Taylor,” Zingale said. “There were over 100 lawsuits then, and we can expect there will be again, so it's an obstacle to governing.”

Zingale said Newsom has focused on what California needs from the start of his administration, but that was in the context of a president who is a “climate change denier, a drought denier” and “seems to hate California.”

But Newsom never shied away from opportunities to contrast himself with the former president.

“The Newsom Administration's 'California for All' framework is blatantly and ruthlessly opposed to Trump's morally divisive 'them versus us' worldview,” Zingale said.

That contrast could be beneficial for Newsom's standing within the Democratic Party if Trump wins.

As California's governor, Newsom could cast himself as Trump's biggest rival for his final two years in office and potentially serve as a stepping stone to a 2028 presidential run.

Newsom said he and California would “have to defend ourselves and our values” if Trump wins.

“We have a lot to protect, a lot to lose, a lot to win,” Newsom told The Times in an interview before the debate, “but I think we don't have to worry about this or deal with it … because Biden is going to be re-elected.”

After the debate, Madrid, a Republican political consultant who is an active opponent of Trump, argued that the dynamics of the race had not changed.

“You have crazy people and frail old people,” Madrid said. “That's the American choice. That's true. But there's nothing new. We've seen a lot more.”

R.L. Miller, a Democratic National Convention delegate from California and founder of Climate Hawks Boat, said in a text chat that friends were wondering who the DNC should choose as a replacement.

She suggested Democrats should rest and calm down.

“Being realistic, he's not going to give up his chances at the presidency overnight,” she said of Biden.

Throughout the night, Newsom maintained his support for Biden.

On his social media platform “X,” he blasted Trump's claims that “everyone wanted to overturn Roe v. Wade's federal abortion protections,” that the southern border is “the most dangerous place in the world” and that he has “the biggest heart on stage.”

“I was taking notes on all the lies,” Newsom told MSNBC. “I ran out of paper.”