🔗 Share this article

Gavin Newsom, a prominent member of the Democratic party, has revealed that he intends to determine whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 after the 2026 elections conclude.

"Absolutely, it would be dishonest if I denied it," Newsom stated when pressed about giving serious thought to a campaign for president following the 2026 midterms. "It wouldn't be the truth. And I can't do that."

Newsom's tenure as governor ends in January 2027, and he is ineligible for re-election. However, he noted that any choice is not imminent.

"It's up to destiny," he said.

Growing Prominence as a Trump Critic

He has come to the forefront as a notable critic of the current federal leadership, using his social media accounts and advocating for a initiative that would boost the party's representation in Congress in as a counter to GOP gerrymandering. This strategy has drawn criticism from political opponents.

Federal Funding Dispute

Donald Trump's secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, accused that Newsom does not care about Californians in a Sunday interview on a major news network. The secretary revealed a strategy to cut government money from California and suggested eliminating the power to provide commercial driver's licenses.

"I intend to cut $160m from California," Duffy stated, in the wake of a this week's fatal crash in the state involving an unauthorized commercial driver that led to fatalities and injured individuals.

Newsom's office pointed out that the federal government had renewed the driver's employment on several occasions, which allowed him to receive a commercial driver's license under federal law.

Duffy had previously indicated he was holding back $40m from the state for ignoring linguistic standards for CDL holders.

Strong Response from the Administration

"Former D-list reality star, now Secretary of Transportation, fails to grasp federal law," the governor's team said in a last month's release addressing the secretary's comments. "For now, unlike this clown, we focus on reality: California truck drivers had a fatal crash rate much lower than the national average. Texas – the sole state with more commercial holders – has a rate markedly elevated than the state. Facts don't lie. This administration is dishonest."

Public Opinion and Campaign Considerations

A recently conducted poll found that a majority of the party and a significant portion of the electorate believed that Newsom should run for the White House in 2028. In recent years, public support for the governor has grown to an average of a third from approximately 30%, while his negative ratings has dropped from an average of more than 40% to under 40%.

Some time ago, the governor commented while traveling several swing states that he had "no clue" about his plans for 2028.

He mentioned his personal struggles, including being found to have a learning disability at the age of five.

"The thought that a individual who got 960 on his SAT, who has ongoing difficulties with text, who was typically not at the front – the idea that you would even throw that out is, in and of itself, amazing," he commented. "Who the hell knows? I am eager to see who emerges in the next election and who answers the call. And that remains the key point for the U.S. citizens."