Gavin Newsom says Joe Biden should '100%' debate Donald Trump in the campaign for the 2024 general election - even though the president has not yet committed to participating

California Gov. Gavin Newsom thinks President Joe Biden should absolutely debate Donald Trump in the 2024 general election campaign.

Biden has not yet committed to debate Trump this election cycle after the two went head-to-head multiple times in 2020.

But Newsom, a top surrogate for Biden, suggested that the president is prepared to go against his predecessor and that suggestions he won't is 'pure projection.'

Trump refused to participate in the primary debate this cycle because he claimed he was running as an incumbent and shouldn't have to go up against the B team.

Repeatedly his competitors called on him to participate, but he refused – claiming he would debate when the general election came around.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he thinks President Joe Biden should '100%' participate in debates with Donald Trump during the 2024 general election campaign

Trump and Biden debated a handful of times during the 2020 presidential campaign

'Trump says he's ready to debate Biden right now. Should President Biden debate Trump?' NBC News' Meet the Press host asked Newsom on Sunday.

'Of course he's going to be,' Newsom said. 'Biden beat Trump in the prior debates. I look forward –'

'So that's a yes?' Welker cut in.

'100%,' the governor replied, saying that suggestions Biden won't participate is 'pure projection on a guy who refused to debate in his own primary.'

'Back to my point: weakness masquerading as strength,' he noted of the former president.

Newsom is one of Biden's top surrogates, but Republicans theorize that Democrats are planning to run the California governor on the 2024 primary ticket instead of the current president.

Newsom insists that he has no plans to make a bid for the White House this cycle – but Republicans aren't convinced that he won't step in at the Democrat's nominating convention over the summer.

He told NBC that any calls for him to jump in the race are just 'idle chatter' and a 'sideshow.'

'It's not even an interesting conversation,' he added, saying that he '100%' rules out the possibility.

Trump delivered victory remarks in South Carolina's primary on Saturday and did not once mention Haley's name – instead shifting the focus to the general election

Meanwhile, after a commanding primary election victory in South Carolina on Saturday, Trump is pivoting his campaign's focus from the primary to November's general election.

During his victory speech, the former president encouraged his voters to focus on November 5, which he claims will be the 'most important date in history,' and did not once mention Haley's name.

Haley, for her part, said Saturday evening she is keeping to her word to stay in the race despite her crushing loss in her home state this weekend.

'I said earlier this week that no matter what happens in South Carolina, I would continue to run for president,' Haley said in her speech from Charleston.

'I'm a woman of my word. I'm not giving up this fight when a majority of Americans disapprove of both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.'