President Biden in San Francisco On Day 2 of His California Visit

President Joe Biden entered day 2 of his three-day visit to California on Tuesday, travelling to San Francisco to talk with tech leaders about Artificial intelligence.

President Biden began his California trip in Palo Alto on Monday, with Governor Gavin Newsom greeting and travelling with the President around the Bay Area. This announcement made by Biden on Monday was at the Baylands Nature Preserve, when the President committed to backing more than $600 million in federal grant funding for climate resilience projects, as well as $67 million in federal funding directly to California to help build power lines and transmission infrastructure, as well as help California meet renewable energy goals in the coming decades.

“California’s wildfires, heat waves, and extreme swings from drought to flooding show how climate change is impacting our communities,” said Newsom on Monday. “There is no better partner in the fight against climate change than President Biden, who is making unprecedented investments and approaching this crisis with urgency. This new federal funding will support our ongoing climate action to protect our coastal communities from rising oceans and build the clean energy we need.”

President Biden also gave remarks, noting, “Throughout our history, we’re the only nation in the world to come out of crisis stronger than we went into it. We’re doing it again here on the climate crisis. When I think of climate, I think of jobs. When I think of climate, I think of innovation. When I think of climate, I think of turning peril into progress.”

In addition to Biden being in the state on Monday, including going to two fundraisers late on Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris was also in California, attending Juneteenth events in Los Angeles.

Biden then shifted gears Tuesday. After a short trip to Marin County, the President travelled to the Fairmont Hotel  in San Francisco to discuss Artificial Intelligence. While the meeting was closed doors, it is known that Biden discussed AI with many tech critics, including Common Sense Media founder Jim Steyer, Center for Humane Technology executive director Tristan Harris, Algorithmic Justice League founder Joy Buolamwini, and co-director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute Fei-Fei Li. Also in attendance was Governor Newsom.

Biden and Newsom

The pros and cons of AI were discussed, with the dangers of AI being especially emphasized. After the meeting, Biden told reporters “The technology is already driving change in every part of American life, often in ways we don’t notice. In seizing this moment, we need to manage the risks to our society, to our economy and our national security.”

While Biden had other plans for Tuesday night, including more fundraisers, much has been made of Newsom’s constant following Biden around during his trip. The two have gone to nearly all of the same events and press conferences, many times speaking directly after each other. Pundits noted on Tuesday that Newsom constantly being with Newsom during the trip was largely to quell rumors that Newsom intends to run against Biden for the Democratic nomination for President in 2024.

“Newsom has said time and time again that he’s firmly in support of Biden, and he has had to keep denying the rumors that he is running,” noted California and Nevada pollster Clark Watterson to the Globe on Tuesday. Every picture of Biden on this trip has turned into a Where’s Waldo of Governor Newsom, because he is in pretty much every picture and video. Biden obviously does not want a major candidate to run against him. You know, having a dead-locked convention, or worse, the incumbent President being beaten in the primaries is a bad look. And Newsom doesn’t want to put everything into a 2024 run only to lose, and come in in 2028 as a previous loser who is now short of funds. Hillary Clinton did manage to overcome her 2008 loss by winning the nomination in 2016, but that took 8 years and she still lost to Trump in the end.”

“As much as this trip has been about environmental and technological issues, make no mistake, this is also about having Newsom be firmly in Newsom’s camp and to shut down these rumors for good. Newsom obviously wants to run, and if Biden is out for health reasons in 2024, there is a good chance he will take that mantle. But right now this is a “I will not be running” tour as much as it is one of California.”

Biden is expected to wrap up his California visit on Wednesday.