🔗 Share this article

The California governor, a well-known Democratic figure, has indicated that he intends to decide on whether to launch a presidential campaign in 2028 following the 2026 congressional elections wrap up.

"Absolutely, I would be lying if I said no," Newsom stated when asked about giving serious thought to a campaign for president post the 2026 ballots. "I'd just be lying. And I'm not."

Newsom's tenure as California's leader wraps up in early 2027, and he cannot run again. However, he emphasized that any determination is a long way off.

"The future will decide," he remarked.

Increased Visibility as a Trump Critic

He has emerged as a prominent critic of the former president's team, employing his social media accounts and advocating for a ballot measure that would expand Democratic House seats in as a counter to Republican redistricting efforts. This strategy has invited attacks from critics.

Federal Funding Dispute

Donald Trump's transportation chief, Sean Duffy, alleged that Newsom is indifferent about the state's residents in a weekend segment on a major news network. The secretary announced a strategy to withhold taxpayer dollars from California and suggested eliminating the power to grant commercial driver's licenses.

"I plan to withdraw $160 million from California," he said, after a this week's fatal crash in the state involving an unauthorized semi truck driver that caused loss of life and four injuries.

Newsom's office pointed out that the U.S. government had approved the worker's status repeatedly, which permitted him to obtain a CDL under national regulations.

The transportation secretary had earlier indicated he was holding back $40 million from California for failing to implement linguistic standards for commercial drivers.

Strong Response from the Administration

"Ex-reality TV personality, now cabinet member, fails to grasp U.S. regulations," his administration responded in a previous release addressing the funding warnings. "In the meantime, unlike this clown, we'll stick to the facts: California commercial driver's license holders had a fatal crash rate much lower than the U.S. average. Texas – the single state with more commercial holders – has a rate markedly elevated than California. Statistics are clear. The Trump administration does."

Public Opinion and Future Prospects

A this month's poll showed that 72% of Democrats and 48% of all registered voters said that the governor ought to campaign for the White House in the next election cycle. Since Trump took office, public support for the governor has increased to an mean of 33.5% from previous levels, while his unfavorability has decreased from an mean of more than 40% to 38.4%.

In previous months, Newsom stated while visiting several battleground states that he had "no idea" about his plans for the next presidential election.

He mentioned his personal struggles, including being identified as dyslexic at the young age of five.

"The thought that a guy who got 960 on his SAT, who has ongoing difficulties with text, who was typically not at the front – that such a possibility is discussed is, alone, remarkable," he commented. "Who the hell knows? I am eager to see who emerges in the next election and who meets that moment. And that is the issue for the voters."