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California Gov. Gavin Newsom: Biden's character keeps him from standing up to GOP

Californian Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday that President Joe Biden's character has made it difficult for him to stand up to the GOP.

"He wants to compromise, he wants to find our better angels, and he wants to find that sweet spot in terms of answering our collective vision and values," Newsom told MSNBC's Alex Wagner. "But that's not how the system is designed."

Newsom added that "Democrats have a messaging problem."

"A messaging problem has persisted in our party for years and years," he said.

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He added that Democrats could do better on messaging on different issues such as crime, and suggested that the party is "losing," the message that most Republican-led states have the top 10 highest murder rates.

Newsom himself has taken a different tactic in than the White House on messaging.

He ran advertisements in July attacking Republicans' actions in Florida, such as a 15-week abortion ban, the "Don't Say Gay" law, and recent voting laws.

He also said he does not plan to run for president in 2024, partly because of his close election last year.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gavin Newsom: Biden's wish for compromise makes it hard to counter GOP