Plus backing biden. My wideranging interview with democratic governor gavin newsom. Why do you think 24 want to see . The polls mean nothing until we gut get out there and make our case. His thoughts on his party, the 2024 election and his own president ial ambition. I think we need to move past this notion that hes not going to run. President biden is going to run. Time to move on. Lets go. And gerontocracy, americas Aging Leaders refuse to exit the stage. I will finish my senate term. I made my decision in terms of winning. Why are octogenarians ignoring the calls from voters who believe they are too old to serve. Joining me, senior Political Editor mark murray. Amy walter, editor in Chief Executive of the cooke political report. Cornell belcher and Danielle Pletka of the American Enterprise institute. Welcome to sunday. Its Meet The Press. Announcer from nbc news in washington, the longest running show in television history, this is Meet The Press with chuck todd. Good sunday morning. As you may have heard, after nine years and more than 435 casts, today is my final sunday in the moderator chair. To say that this has been the honor and privilege of my life time is an understatement. This is simply the pinnacle of political journalism and something my younger self never imagined. No matter how much of a grind the current Political Climate is, wearing me down on any given day, i still always have had a pinch me, i cant believe it feeling every time i hear my name introduced as the moderator of the longestrunning show in television. In fact, i used to joke my goal is not to be the last moderator of the longest running show in american history, and ive achieve that goal and then some. I look forward to passing the baton in about 57, 58 minutes. In the meantime we put together a terrific program with the focus on the future of the political parties, and the guests we have today, California Governor Gavin Newsom and bill cassidy are the two i specifically wanted because i think these two healthy officials have a healthy respect for you, the viewers and the voters. They arent afraid of answering any question on any platform on any network, by any person. They accept the premise of a healthy democracy which is that elected officials take a stand and then come on shows where they get questioned for their rationale and defend it. Im a skeptic by nature which also makes me inquisitive by nature, and it is in that spirit that i think Meet The Press is the standard bearer that asks the relevant questions that you ask. As i prepare to sign off, its interesting both parties find themselves at a crossroads. Both parties want to look toward the future and theyre stuck in the present and the voters are exhausted by it. For the republicans the issue is trump and trumpism and does it belong in the past . In a rally in south dakota trump made it clear he does not intend to leave it there. If i win and somebody wants to run against me, kale my Attorney General and say, listen, indict him well, he has unit done anything. Well, i dont know. Indict him on tax ee vision. Well figure it out. The republicans cannot let this go on. For the democrats the issue is pedens age. The party should nominate a different candidate than joe biden and it was the big of the concern among 49 of all democrats. The biggest concern was bidens age. Overall just 28 of americans say biden inspires confidence. Thats down 24 points from two years ago when he was just four months into his presidency. This week the Biden Campaign released an ad highlighting his surprise visit to ukraine in february. A not so subtle argument that he is physically up to the job. A nearly 40hour journey in and out of ukraine. President biden left washington, dc, at 4 00 a. M. On sunday, he landed in eastern cologne, and took a nine and a halfhour train to kyiv. In the middle of a war zone, joe biden showed what america is made of. Thats the quiet strength of a true leader. Joining me now is bill cassidy of louisiana. Welcome back to Meet The Press. Thank you for the honor of being on your last show. I want to start with some of the news of the week even on friday with the announcement by the former speaker of the house that shes going to seek reelection and shes in her 80s. I want to start with a quote you gave a couple of years ago on this issue to axios. Heres the exchange. The speaker of the house is 81. Wisdom comes with age, but the science is also clear that we arent who we were. That we do lose things with age. As a medical professional, is that something we should be thinking about . Of course. At some point and statistically its in the 80s you begin a more rapid decline. Its usually noticeable. So anybody in a position of responsibility who may potentially be on that slope, that is of concern and im saying this as a doctor. I also want to clarify you were not judging any specific person there. You were making a generalization. Whats interesting there, this is before we were debating Mitch Mcconnell and debating joe biden. Does that still hold for you . Absolutely. I think Mitch Mcconnell handled it perfectly. His doctors didnt just release the test, but the results of the test and it allows people to move beyond the number of how old is the person and the science, the medical science and how to evaluate, and i think that should be the standard that folks are held to, and i think hes responded. You feel like youve got enough information on senator mcconnell . You do . You feel like youre getting an honest assessment here . I do. The doctor is not lying. Hes saying these are the tests that weve done and these are the results that we have. By the way, i have the advantage of seeing not just the clip of him 20 seconds and the clip of him before and there after. What do you make of senator rand pauls questioning of the doctor . I always say im gerontologist and you have to accept the limitations of training. Why do you think how do you think we should address this . The voters clearly have said one thing, and you have this look, i mean, i get it. It is always hard to let go at the very end. Trust me. Im aware of this myself. But what do you think is the driver here . Shouldnt there be transparency . Shouldnt President Biden release a full neurological evaluation to his cognitive ability and Whomever Else . You picked a person you want Mitch Mcconnell to do this . You want joe biden to do this . You want all of them to do this . Do what mitch just did, total transparency. In fairness, the letter from the doctor, we dont know. We just know what this one doctor says. At some point you have to say, he said he had an eeg, an mri, and that or this and theyre all normal. You may decide the doctor is lying, but at some point you have to have faith in somebody and somebody out of politics, giving you honest and giving you results of the test is a good start. Its one thing that the voters should demand this. Is it something that should be the constitution . I dont know if it should be in the constitution, but it certain hi should be in the house rule. House rules get violated all of the time. I would be okay with that. I think if you want to be the president of the United States or senator or house member, then theres a responsibility over and above that of just operating yourself. Right. You have to show that you have clarity. Wouldnt it be nice to say show us your tax returns and medical records . Almost standardized with those things . I think that would be reasonable, too, because if the voter is going to make a decision, we need to give her as much information as we possibly can. Lets talk about the other craziness we may face this month. It seems like Speaker Mccarthy is trying to use dangle impeachment to stop a shutdown. You guys are saying what are you thinking . What is your reaction to what hes thinking . I will not go there. Fair enough. Hes got a difficult role to play, and i accept that too. If you treat each of those separately, will there be a reasonable thing that maybe joe biden was involved or knew of Hunter Trading upon the family name for personal enrichment . That is something that people should know about. Does that rise to the Impeachment Inquiry . Impeachment inquiry or is that something that the im not an attorney and im not going to go there, and i dont know the results of Congressman Comer which i think hes doing a service to the country, a good service. Ive not seen the documents that he wants, and i dont think hes seen them yet, so if you treat that separately, is there something was where hunter was trading up on his fathers name or is his father enabling. On the other hand, do we need to pass a funding bill . Absolutely. I dont know what the strategy is. To go back on the impeachment thing, what you just described, Michael Kinsley said, in washington, its not whats illegal, it is what is legal that is sometimes a crime. That stuff is perfectly legal. Well, im told theres something of a Foreign Agent rule where somebody who is registered as a Foreign Agent is not being totally transparent in terms of how theyre using this relationship. Im also told its difficult to enforce. Again, im not an attorney. But theres something about the spirit and the letter of the law that i think the American People should know. Do you think there should be some sort of ethics code for relatives . They ask about hunter biden. I ask about jared kushner. And i want to say yes. You cant deny somebody a right to earn a living and to steal the phrase of another theyre not just a potted plant. My wife, for example, doesnt make money, and do we want to snuff that out and shes an incredibly capable person . It is something that many professional couples run into particularly in this town. Lets talk about the future of the party. You have been adamant for the last few years when asked the trump question, you say hes not going to be the nominee, hes not going to be the nominee. Do you feel that comfortable now . I will say ive not been so adamant recently. I think he will be the nominee. Is there a populist future to our country, to our party, to the Republican Party or nonpopulist. Populism has a role, but now there is a populism that must come to the point where if you look at the poll of the American People most dont like it. You come from a state where populism led to corruption. You can go through the line. Populism goes to corruption fast. Think about the purpose of populism, when the elites come up with a policy set, which is separate and different from that where the people feels meet their needs, that has to be addressed, and so theres a role for that sensitivity of what the people want. I am totally in favor of that. What i dont like is when you tell people just what they want to hear even if its not true. Right. You know ive been very focused on social security. I know you have. We have two candidates that are telling the American People that which they wish to hear, not which is true. Because of that social security, if it goes insolvent as its predicted to, will result in a 24 cut and benefits for those receiving. For a candidate to tell people there is no problem, thats populism gone awry. In february 2021, you decided donald trump was unfit to ever hold federal office again. Your vote said that as much. You have answered this question very care fridayfully in the past, which is to saw you plan to support a republican. If he is the nominee, can you vote for him. I know where you are with biden. Can you vote for trump . You know, were keeping our streak alive. Every time weve met youve asked me about this. I understand. Why is it difficult to answer . I will vote for a republican. I may have to write it in. What about the labels . You were showing up at their events and you said people have pointed out you were once a democrat, so in some ways you can perhaps be somebody they would look to to bridge the divide. Is that something that would appeal to you . Depending upon who the candidates were . Were looking at biden and trump and is that suddenly appealing . If they came and spoke to me, i would certainly speak to them back. Are you already speaking with them . I am not. But is it something youd be open to . Put it this way, 70 of the American People want something different. Plausibly we could have a setting where someone has been convicted and someone else shows signs of mental decline so significant 70 of the American People are already thinking these two. He is not being transparent as some are in terms of revealing the test. There is an actual need to know whats going on and were not being told. With this, should there be another option for the American People . I think plausibly there should be. Senator bill cassidy, you lived up to exactly how i billed it, which is youre never afraid to answer a question even if i dont like it. Thanks, chuck. Thanks for coming on and sharing your perspective. When we come back, California Governor Gavin Newsom and he offers his vision for how biden can win. Im serious when i say this. A little less time on his age and whether or not hes going to run and a little more time on the damn record. A little more t the damn record. Teeth sensitivity is so common. It immediately feels like somebodys poking directly on the nerve. I recommend sensodyne. Sensodyne toothpaste goes inside the tooth and calms the nerve down. And my patents say you know doc, it really works. Thats some bad luck brian. And i think im late on my car insurance. Good thing the general gives you a break when you need it. Yeah, with flexible Payment Options to keep you covered. So today is your lucky. Day [crash] so today is your lucky. Day for a great low rate, go with the general. Welcome back. As democrats worry about the political strength of President Biden speculation has been bubbling up that another democrat should run instead. I traveled to sacramento this week to talk to one of those democrats in waiting, the California Governor Gavin Newsom. He is clearly positioning himself to run for president. It just may be in 2028 rather than in 2024. I began by asking Governor Newsom at the california governor mansion about biden and the future of the Democratic Party. Governor, thanks for doing this. Good to be back. Good to be with you. Let me start, it was about a year ago where right after the Dobbs Decision you very publicly and ill quote you, where is my party . Where is the Democratic Party . We are a year later. Do you still have that same sort of lack of focus and leadership . The opposite. I think were on message and were getting back on the offense. Were on our feet. I think demonstrably that proved itself and the basis of what happened in the midterms. We outperformed quiet expectations and certainly pawn didtry that was out there at the time. No, i think the party is in a much better place than it was back then, but i stand by what i said a year and a half ago, and out of stress and frustration, i expressed not only that point of view. I tried to do something about it with the iteration of doing ads and other states and making a case. Do you think things are better in your opinion because the party did Something Better or because the public is just pushing back on this abortion decision and that is motivating voters . The Abortion Division has been galvanized and its demonstrably. You saw in ohio and what just happened and you have seen it play out in large and small venues including the wisconsin supreme court. Its played a role and were getting our feet under us. I think well focus on democracy, on freedom and taking back the mantra of freedom and not submitting to the other side that they own patriotism, and the president s developing his message and strategy, and we have an opportunity in the next few months, absolutely. Do you feel like you know what the secondterm agenda is . I dont know about the secondterm agenda because were still regaling in the extraordinary success in the last few years of which we now get to apply the principles and advance a lot of what has been asserted, meaning make real the commitments weve made through these landmark legislative packages, and beyond that, the fundamental messaging has improved. The organized framework that the ads that theyve put out the last five ads i think have been spot on. Now weve got to go out and campaign and youve got to see that in the next few months. Why do you think only 24 of americans want to see biden run again . To me, the polls mean nothing until we get out there and make our case. We have to focus on the issues and framework of contract. You are well aware of how perception can become reality. Ill leave it to more objective minds and i dont have that point of view. Im very inspired of the master class of the last two and a half years. I mean it, master class in terms of delivering results and the question youre asking is the challenging one. How do we mind the gap between performance, the substance and the results, and that perception before it becomes reality . Clearly, its reflected situationally in these polls, but thats the opportunity and not the burden. The opportunity of being able to run on this record, the biden record, and to make the case to the American People over the next 18 months. Do you think this is all just due to age . Do you think people look at his age an