But as Biden weighs whether he intends to run for re-election, a leading figure to replace him is planning his own visit to the border in what he specifically claims is an effort to raise awareness of the need for immigration reform.

On Monday, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office announced in a vaguely-worded release that the Democrat and potential presidential candidate had left the state on a single-day trip to the border in an effort “to discuss immigration reform and [his] commitment to supporting immigrant communities and the border region.”

It is unclear where Newsom went—particularly amid the state’s current ban on state-funded travel to Texas over a 2017 religious-refusal law for same-sex couples to adopt children in the state.

But some on social media pointed to a clear motive for Newsom’s leaving the state, particularly as his own shares approximately 140 miles of border with Mexico and has spent millions of dollars supporting migrant communities who reside there: politics, and Newsom’s own presidential ambitions.

“Does Newsom not realize California shares a border with Mexico?” John Cardillo, a pro-Trump pundit, wrote in response to the news. “He left the state because he’s running for president.”

Immigration policy is one of Biden’s weak spots, with a September Reuters/Ipsos poll showing most Americans believing the Biden administration needed to do more to stem the current tide of undocumented immigrants entering the country.

Meanwhile, prior polling from National Public Radio over the summer showed a majority of Americans now believe there’s an “invasion” at the southern border amid a relentless public awareness campaign from conservative groups and politicians.

And earlier polling from May showed a clear majority of Americans oppose the Biden administration’s decision to attempt to end a Trump administration-era public health order that has since become at the heart of the “catch and release” problems currently contributing to the ongoing spike in illegal border crossings.

The move also represents a shifting understanding of the political realities surrounding the U.S.-Mexico border.

In 2019, Newsom notably described issues on the border under Trump as a “manufactured crisis” in a state of the state address he delivered at the height of the former president’s fervor to build a physical barrier between the two countries.

More recently, he has named Trump’s border policies—particularly surrounding visa policies—as the primary contributor to the crisis, calling the whole border debate “made up” in a recent panel discussion with former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, placing the blame instead on Congress’ own inability to strike a deal on comprehensive immigration reform.

“Where’s Congress? They haven’t done their job,” Newsom said in September.

But Newsom has also proposed an alternative vision for addressing the crisis, casting himself as a foil to Governor Ron DeSantis after a highly publicized decision to transport undocumented migrants to liberal areas like Martha’s Vineyard earlier this year.

Newsom recently signed off on a plan allowing undocumented residents to obtain state IDs in an effort to “advance equity, and expand opportunity.”

And while conservatives—including former president Trump—have supported outright moratoriums on immigration, Newsom has proposed lessening the burden for those seeking to enter the country legally, a position supported not only by Biden but roughly two-thirds of the voting public, according to recent polling.

“The issue is real,” Newsom told Bloomberg News earlier this year. “I’m a border state governor, you don’t need to lecture me on this topic. The reality is that we need comprehensive immigration reform. The irony of this, and the frustration I have, is that Joe Biden put out a great plan.”

“But we’re not talking about it,” he added. “We’re not promoting it, and Republicans consistently, from 2007 to 2013, blocked any comprehensive immigration reforms. Shame on them.”